To Give You My Name...

[Deleted]

His head was so foggy when they left that little hole in the wall bar you had lead him too.. it had been an enlightening night.. for the both of them.. it had to have been the first time they really got the chance to talk.. like properly.. without interruption or hindrance.. just talking.. and they gelled perfectly.. he had a lot of respect for you.. a grand amount.. even after all that had occurred between you and his Mother.. people made mistakes.. he himself was certainly far from perfect.. so he understood.. he just quietly wished it would have been handled a bit better than it was.. but.. it was not his wish to make or have granted.. they stumbled out onto the street after paying for their drinks and a great many for whomever decided to stay on much longer.. scouring a few local jewellers.. before heading back to the Hotel.. he was swaying a bit on his feet.. not quite stumbling but certainly not steady either.. -.. Ohh.. Ok.. sounds good.. Ill go check in on Rose.. make sure she is feeling ok.. -he caught the wink.. the jab to his side as you made the comment about not needing to be quiet and he laughed with a bit of a grin-.. Ahhh.. no need for anyone to be quiet these days right?.. were all adults.. -he waved his hand a little.. now if he were sober no way in hell would he have said that.. he weaved through the furniture a little.. till he got to their shared chamber door.. he tapped upon it.. a few times.. before making a few more attempts at the door knob.. turning it the wrong way two times out of three before it finally opened and he made his way inside.. laughing quietly to himself.. he leant on the doorframe.. she wasn't in the bed though.. he rubbed his chin-.. Beautiful?.. -he called out.. making his way toward the bed as he slumped down upon it to sit-.. are you here?.. -his speech was a little slurred.. but he wasn't dead drunk.. just happy and a bit giddy on his feet-.. Are you feeling better?..

[BadInfluence]

“Graceful… I fear I have about as much skill in that as a new born fawn… I see your point though and you are right. It’s all a work in progress at this point though no matter how much I wish otherwise… I will get there… One day.” It might take her a while but she would one day realize life had begun to mold her into a woman with grace and refinement, a warm heart and a level head, but for right now? She was just young… Chaotic… A good head on her shoulders but a foolish and fragile heart with a little too much control on the reigns… The potential was there just… Not the tools… Not yet. The conversation turned to her pregnancy and her own fears that Gia would be upset b it, but at the conversation deepened it became quite aware she had Shakespeare’d it up… Much ado about nothing. That was a huge weight off her shoulders to know that the children were safe and she was not in trouble, she’d be allowed to continue her job and Gia wouldn’t be upset by it, that small adjustments would be made for her own safety and wellbeing of the children but nothing so much as to stop her working… Something she greatly appreciated honestly. “I am glad that you have found satisfaction in my work, I do enjoy it very much, but Nautilous is a bit of a marvel… I did pick up something for you on my visit…” The book series she had…. There wasn’t a ton of copies and she happened to have the complete set, and since Sydel couldn’t read there was only one other person who might enjoy what was held on the pages, perhaps even be able to understand things in there that she didn’t. “I’ll give it to you tonight when the men are asleep, it’s quite a secret.” And not one she shared with many. As they chatted though she explained the strange movements inside, a soft, almost whimsical look on her face. “It’s definitely something… I can’t tell when they’re going to do it or which one… Sometimes I think it’s just the one… But then other times there’s no way such a big move can be anything less than the two…”



The Advice about Ace and Jacob was given and received, it was very sound, very solid advice and she was going to take it with both hands. How could she not? “He’s sworn to become a thorn in my side but I wonder if that’s honesty or just spite… He’s a bit like a child who cried for a toy and made use of it before tossing it away, only to cry once more because someone else is playing with it despite the fact that he had thrown it away, unwilling to let anyone else play with it even if they didn’t want it just a moment ago.” Though she didn’t blame Ace for that… She created that monster all on her own by telling Ace he was going to be a father. She really had no one but herself to blame for that one no matter what. “We might do that as a family from time to time… It’s so strange in a way but I Feel as if I love both the surface and Menzoberranzan the same, like the light and dark side of the moon they’re both beautiful and unique, both have a pull on me. I am sure it will only grow when we reach your home… From what I have heard it is the most beautiful place in all of the Under Dark.” More words were shared and she honestly couldn’t have thanked Ga enough even if she had a hundred years to do it. From start to finish she felt like she suddenly had found her mother in the middle of a dream, full of such wise and loving advice that it helped to calm the storm in her heart and her soul, to give her a chance to get her head above water and make it to shore… And the words that came next? Were true… She really did wish she and Nautilous would get married so she could have Gia as a mother in law… And when that ring was flashed? Her jaw fell open a little before she smiled brightly and nodded her head. “I am so glad! I really hope he works hard to show you he deserves you because you’re incredibly special, you deserve more than fairy tales on paper, you deserve books of romance and adventure… And I hope you get every single one of them… I promise if anything comes up I will tell you…. And again… Thank you for all of this… You gave me something precious and invaluable tonight that I never have had before in my life… Again… Thank you…” She said to Gia before she saw her get up and leave to go out on her date with Thaylan.



When Jacob came in?



No, she wasn’t in their bed, mostly due to the fact that she had decided a shower was needed. Three in a day? She felt like something was seriously weird about that but they had a purpose… This time? Was just to cool down, remove all evidence of anything that might have lingered, leaving her very soft skinned and fresh faced… No make up, no perfume, nothing more than a very light and sheer nightgown… The natural scent of a spring meadow full of flowers on her skin, the same scent that had always been hers that she had been covering up for so long, her freckles soft flecks of copper and chocolate all around… She was a lot more centered now than she had been in a long time, Gia’s words had given her an insight, a different way to view her past and her future… She could see it as a mistake, plenty of mistakes made all over the place, or she could just see them as lessons… Her viewpoint? Was all on her and no one else. She was entirely responsible for the way she viewed her life and a lot of her past thought process were bound up in that same thing, the constant self-enforced pressure to do this and that, to be this and that… To see every failure like a personal insult to herself, something horrific and nasty, something everyone could see… No one had done that to her either. She’d done it all to herself by growing up warped and crooked and never trying to straighten herself out. Now? She knew more… Knew better… And from this moment on everything was up to her and her mindset. She could wallow and hate herself… Or she could come to terms with a lot of stuff, forgive herself, and understand she was still a child in a lot of ways… A novice playing at a game with adults… She didn’t want to bow out, far from it, rather she wanted to keep playing. She was just going to make sure she watched more, reacted less, and in general kept it all with a grain of salt.



As he came in, happy and floaty, the way he called for her made her smile. Seemed someone took him out on the town indeed! She left the bathroom at his call, her hair in a long braid over her shoulder as she came around the corner to him, a warm smile on her lips as she looked at him… This man… He was amazing. Selfless and so brave, the warmest of hearts and a generous soul, wise and yet still adorably silly at times… He had credited so much of his current life on her meeting him but refused to see it was a two way thing… He thought she had saved him but really? He had been saving her the whole time… It just wasn’t until recently that she realized he had been keeping her afloat the whole time without so much as a whisper. She thought they were partners but the more she looked it over the more she realized that he led her by her hand, keeping her up and moving, all while letting her think she was leading… And it takes a truly loving soul to be able to do that without making it obvious or getting irritated or mad when the other person doesn’t realize it… “Hello love, you look wonderful, did you have fun?” She asked lovingly as she came up to the bed and would kneel at his feet, reaching down to take off his sandals before she’d bring over a basin of water and a cloth, wiping his feet down and getting all the sand and dust off… Why? Because she loved him. “I am yes, much better now, though I have to confess it wasn’t the food as I first thought.” Once his feet were clean she would dry them off and help him out of the heavier over coat of his outfit, leaving him in just the light linen robe under t, much cooler and lighter for it which would she hoped; Make him feel much more relaxed than he likely already was.



“How far down the rabbit hole did your father lead you down? Think you can handle a bit of a revelation? Or would you rather leave it for tomorrow?” She had hoped to get it out tonight but considering he was so jovial and floaty she didn’t want to ruin his mood by any means. If he said he was game for what ever she said though? Well that was a different matter and she’d explain the changes that she had been discovering today. “So I did a little scan on myself earlier when I wasn’t feeling quite right and had the shock of my life but don’t worry it was a good one. You get to meet your son about… Oh… Four months earlier than we expected? And before you know it you’ll be getting kicked by him before he’s even out to say hello.” Happy things, right? He’d be a father not in a years time but more like seven to eight months, entirely depending on how these two behaved, after all she wasn’t a big woman by any means and they would get camped sooner than later. She settled onto the bed beside him before she’d move back behind him, getting into a position where his head would be in her lap as she’d then begin to rub along his shoulders and jaw… Making him feel incredibly good before she’d move into his hair line and those sinfully dark locks before she’d speak again. “But the one hitch… The one I’m a bit worried about… Is the fact that these dates… When I got pregnant we were all still sharing the same bed...” He would be ok… Right? She was doing her best to keep from speaking his name, a bit like Beetlejuice or the Candy Man, if she didn’t say it three times in a row he wouldn’t appear. “I’ve told Gia about all of this and she’s made me aware that she won’t let Ace get anywhere near us or our family…” He’d definitely put a strain on them… At the time she doubted it was malicious intentionally but perhaps subconsciously… Ace might have been Jealous of Jacob… His success and being so well liked by being nothing other than himself… Where as Ace would always get mixed reviews… Jacob was young, successful, brilliant and he did it all on his own with nothing more than sheer grit and determination… It would drive just about any guy with a choppy past to sheer distraction… Making her wonder if perhaps Ace coming in to help Jacob after Cara was really more of a way to soothe his own troubles… But then again? She could be reading a whole lot into it that wasn’t even there… This was after all just theories ad conjectures… No solid evidence what so ever.



“I’m not going to judge you or hold you to anything my love, these babies were created at a time when everything was different, and I don’t expect you to act any particular way… If you are happy to be this little boys father then I’ll never breathe a word of it. But if you feel that you want you know who to be in this in ANY way, I will respect your choice, we both know how complicated family can be…” They did after all share a father, and both of them were raised as foundlings so they had no real solid grasp on anything in regards to genetics… But this? This was something they could do how ever they chose… When Ace’s son was older and had questions? Then they’d go from there… But until then? From this step on this was something they were going to do together 100%. For right now her hands were just in his hair, massaging along his scalp and the backs of his hears, around his temples and down to try and keep things from getting too serious… Help him stay relaxed and happy… IF something like that was possible in the current situation…






nightgown

[BadInfluence]

“Do you think so?” He asked a bit bashfully when she seemed quite stunned by his change of dress. He normally was far more content in the cast offs, things no one would miss, rags and odds and ends that made him invisible in a crowd… But this? Was far from nondescript. This was high end stuff, hand crafted by the finest of tailors, something Nautilous had insisted on. One thing he had right was the fact that was Gia’s Patron he would have to be in the light during official ceremonies and things of that nature and if a Matron’s Patron was seen slumming about in rags around her they’d be questioning a whole lot of things that wouldn’t bear too close of scrutiny. He had to get used to being seen, to standing out from time to time, to being able to comport himself in such a way as to be a vital ally and asset to his sweet sister versus… Well… Simply a presence in the eyes of the masses. “Our lover helped fine tune it since he knows the fashion here, I simply chose the colors, something to compliment… I got a touch chided about running around in my favorite cast offs when I am due to become your Patron. Rather amusing really… Our non drow lover here correcting me about the public eye and how to be an asset… He is quite the wonder…” A strange and beautiful man without a doubt, somehow able to blend himself seamlessly into any and all environments, down to the points that if not for the slight accent he had when speaking Drow? One would be hard pressed to see him as anything but just that… A well bred drow male. All the same tonight was not for him, not yet at least, tonight? Was theirs… A time to catch up, to be with each other and catch up, to soak up each others presence and enjoy it for everything it was. “Though all that aside I find you look more beautiful than the emerald caves we once found as children… Your beautiful skin and the emerald and gold hue of the dress makes you look like the absolute most beautiful and priceless gem… Which is exactly as it should be.” Ah, she had him a bit though didn’t she? He was far from his normal calm and tranquil self, she had him stuttering a bit, rambling on a touch… Their first date, it didn’t matter how far they had come or how old they were, he felt like an untried youth of sixteen on his very first rendezvous with a lover.

The vase was small and quite simple, a pretty glass jar with a ribbon around it, meant to hold but not compare to the flowers within. They were wild and vibrant, the hardy sort that grow in the desert, that have to be as flamboyant as a whores stockings or they’d never get pollinated in time. “I normally wouldn’t give such a gift but I wanted to share with you some of these things that you couldn’t see before… These wild flowers are so much like you, wild and stunningly beautiful, hardy and able to preserver over all hardships.” What came next though, now that was entirely him, he had always adored her hair and his favorite gifts for her were such decorations… Pins and combs, ribbons and beads, anything that would accentuate her gorgeous locks… The jade, emerald, green sapphire and gold hair pin was a strange mix of simple elegance but upon closer look the sheer complexity of it was utterly fascinating. The earrings were much the same as he slid it into place while she donned the earrings. “As I recall a petitioning Patron does well to woo the Matron of his dreams by showering her with one of a kind gifts through the courtship, much as a spider brings the gift of food to his mate, I am bringing things to you to entice you to become my mate.” This was just the start, she would get gifts every day while they were courting until their marriage, which wasn’t long at all now since once they got back home they’d be officially wed… Perhaps that was a good thing as he’d likely buy her more things for her hair than she could wear in her lifetime. The gold leaf was the final touch though, something priceless and vibrant, the patterns were never the same twice… Creating a sort of falling snow pattern in her crimson curls that just completed the entire thing… She looked like the Queen she was and that was all he ever hoped for… For the world to see her as he did…

The hand to his cheek was incredibly touching as he leaned into it, cradling her hand with his as they embraced in such a manner, looking down at her with a smile on his face. “Mmm caution dear sister for each time you compliment me you also compliment yourself as my twin… Or is that your goal all along?” He teased only lightly as he caught her hand to kiss her thumb before they’d join together so he could escort her, her catching of his trembles certainly caught him off guard and brought a slight blush to his face as his eyes kept wanting to drop a bit… It was a little embarrassing after all, being so shy around his sister who had been his first everything, they knew each other better than they knew their own skin and yet… She had him in such a unique position tonight, not that it was bad by any means, but he was perhaps… Well… A little old to be feeling as if he were an untried youth once more… “My sweet little sister, truly I am trying not to but this is a novelty for me, for us… While you had this opportunity in a way, this is my first occasion, and with the person who holds my whole heart in her web I find myself… Well… Quite bashful… I want nothing more than for you to enjoy yourself tonight and I will do all I can to ensure you do.” And he would, with all he had at his disposal he would, he just didn’t think he could go the whole night without perhaps doing something like blushing every hour or so. “But don’t hesitate to tell me if my manners are off. I consider this a light trial run as your Patron so I need to be as sure as possible that I can measure up to what is needed.” Partially because he left so early and partially because he was the younger sibling, he was never trained to be thought of as a Patron, a warrior yes and even a mage but never anything higher… His mother knew he would marry into a good house but she never wanted him to dream of anything too grand… So he was left a bit out of the loop on the ins and outs of it but the upside was he was a very fast learner and had plenty of books and his sweet sister to guide him.

Once they were out in the main area he noticed the entire behavior changed. They were treated like royalty and ushered about to the best table at the best location, only the finest wines brought out with a plater of cheese and fruit, people whispering all around them in a tongue he couldn’t understand… Though he could read emotions plenty well and he could tell that it was nothing malicious, likely just random curiosity and it didn’t take a master genius to figure out that he and Gia definitely stood out. Chances were they were being thought of as just how they were treated, random visiting royalty and hey, he was more than happy to ride on those coat tails. The wine was delicious to him as he had been on the surface long enough to appreciate the changes. They were no drow wine true enough but that didn’t mean it was bad, just different, something to enjoy and remind you there were other things out there just waiting to be tried. As they enjoyed the appetizers while the meal was being prepared, the view on display in such a way that it really was quite breath taking, especially with such ancient ruins within view, these great pointed buildings rising so incredibly high it made one wonder how they had even been done… It was beautiful, truly it was, just being near her and enjoying her company… Watching her face as she discovered this other world, able to explore and experience it all without pain, knowing while it was so very alien to her even the strange can hold a mysterious allure that makes it irresistible… It had taken him a while but once he got over it he realized every place has something about it that makes the heart beat just a little faster… Imagination take flight… Her words pulled him from his reflections as he watched her with a dreamy smile on his face, listening quietly as she spoke, knowing how much this very fact was stinging her like a vicious little wasp… “You can not stop a landslide once it has started…” Snow did not happen in their realm but landslides caused by earthquakes and random water channels was a real and dangerous threat that every drow fears, they were so sudden and happened with no waning the best you could do was pray to Lloth for a quick death… “I do not think that it is permanent, this rift is more a temporary thing, for once the landslide runs it’s course? The ground is more fertile, rich and potent than it ever had been before, creating new lands for new things to grow and flourish… Without them everything just rots and becomes too stagnant.”

New cave systems were born from such things all the time, beautiful things discovered in the wake of such chaos, and he was sure that Gia and Sydel would once more be together… More beautiful for the separation and pain… They would never be what they once were, but no longer were they the same women they used to be either, they were now mothers and on a different path than they had been. The old had to die or the new would never come into existence. All he wanted was to see it happen, or at the very least hear about it, if only to prove he was right… Until then though? The silt and sediment had to settle, the slide had to cease, only then could they start again. “It is beautiful here… It’s so strange as well but there’s an old magic here you can taste on the air like the spices in their food… It lingers on the skin like a faded, ghost like caress, giving this whole area a subtle romance… I am so grateful that I get to share this with you. To see the woman I love most able to enjoy a world that once resisted only on pages and in crude drawings… It’s a dream come true…” He said adoringly before the first course would be brought out, a cold fruit soup made with wine and fruit juice and a touch of something harder hitting, deliciously iced so that the flavors exploded on your tongue and the fleshy fruits were succulent and tempting to the tongue. The next course was a bread they called na’an and some sort of ground thing called hummus, a tangy but rather addictive taste and with the soft, buttery flat bread it was a happy marriage of contrasting texture and flavor… Third course was some sort of bird, the meat was incredibly tender and the skin golden and crisped, dripping butter… Just the smell alone had him salivating as he portioned it up, the flesh falling from the bone and melting in the mouth with such a complex yet almost familiar flavor, the wild saffron rice was golden and slightly sweet, the perfect companion to such savory meats… Fresh tomatoes and yams were served up as well, cucumbers sliced so thin they were almost transparent and lightly steamed carrots that were soft and sweet… Everything was an adventure, every dish a different flavor and texture, from the simple to the more complex… the fourth course, the final for the meal was of course dessert, but what came out? Didn’t look like it…

It seemed almost too small… Two glass dishes, perhaps the size of small saucers, looking like over glorified large teacups were placed before them… Inside looked a bit like a simple chocolate sponge half circle… Considering the meal so far this was an extreme let down. They were then served a decadent pitcher of sweet vanilla cream which, through hand jestures, they were told to pour over the dessert… So… Soaking wet sponge?... He was a bit questioning at first but decided the worst thing that could happen was an overtly moist dessert… So lifting the modified gravy boat looking container he began to pour it over his dessert and as he did so? The spongy shell began to melt as if made from spun sugar, a puff of steam floating up as it crumbled before revealing a multiple layered dessert of complexity he didn’t think humans could manage… Each later was different, a different color and flavor, texture too… And yet you could slice into it and all the layers would blend themselves into something entirely addictive and so delicious there was no way one could ever forget such a thing…

[Deleted]

He had stumbled into their shared chambers.. having had to take a few attempts at the door handle before it would work.. but he was gifted with entrance soon enough.. calling out to her with a smile.. before he slumped down onto the bed.. his head was filled with the sweetest fog.. he wore a soft yet slightly silly smile.. catching a glimpse of her as she came around to the side of the bed-.. Ahhhh there she is.. -he reached out for her.. to almost beckon her closer.. onto the bed -.. mm.. I did have fun.. it was very enjoyable.. did a bit of walking.. did a lot of talking.. Nautilous is a pretty cool guy.. -he nodded.. shifting his weight a little as you went about removing his footwear.. his shoulders sunk down into the bedding a little as she tended to his bare feet.. -.. you're spoiling me.. -he smiled.. letting his lids fall closed for a little while.. he asked her how she was doing.. -.. Perfect.. -he was happy to hear she was feeling better.. -.. but.. not the food?.. perhaps overdoing it a little?.. -he was curious as to what she meant.. but his mind wouldn't allow him to think quite analytically.. not yet in any rate.. removing the heavier layers was wonderful.. feeling the light fabric resting against his skin afterwards was incredibly relaxing.. so the desired effect was definitely felt ..he laughed when she asked how far down the rabbit hole he tumbled-.. Oh.. Ohhh.. Ohhhhhhh way way way down.. like.. -he rubbed his stubble laden chin-.. we hit the bottom about half way through and we just kept digging.. -he turned his head so he was looking toward her with a silly grin.. chuckling -..it was a good night..we had a lot to talk about.. some stuff a bit harder to hear than the rest.. but.. ahhh.. when its all out in the open.. its weightless.. -his duo coloured gaze scanned her own..-.. A revelation?.. -he questioned hearing the change in her voice.. figuring something was up.. or at the very least something important was about to be.. his brows drew in a little and he pulled himself into a semi seated position-.. something wrong love?.. -his head was tilted a little to the side.. listening as she spoke about the pregnancy.. and how she had done a scan.. his heart sank a little.. he was expecting the worst.. especially given their history..

though he blinked when he heard nothing was wrong.. not really.. it was more that she was a lot farther along than was expected.. his brow rose.. arching there upon his face.. -.. Wow.. seriously?.. -he blinked again and his smile grew even more-.. Thats SO soon!.. Wow.. so.. you are well and truly out of the danger period.. Oh thats Fantastic news.. -his smile was genuine.. his face just lit up like a christmas tree.. but whilst normally he would have put two and two together.. especially questioning the dates.. right now his head was pretty foggy.. his head was guided to her lap.. his lids closed over when she began to rub.. to massage his shoulders.. his jaw.. his hairline.. a quiet sigh sounded.. the room settled into a comfortable silence before she went on.. this time talking about the dates.. and how they had all shared a bed around this particular one.. he paused.. blinking open his eyes as he looked up to her.. confusion evident.. before he slowly moved to sit up.. -.. Im not sure I understand?..- but when you brought up Gia and then Ace not being allowed to get near them.. Oh.. the penny dropped.. he didn't say anything at first.. he just sat there.. staring at nothing in particular.. this .. this news was steadily sobering him up.. brushing away all the fog that had settled lusciously within his mind.. he reached up.. to rub against the back of his neck.. before he took a breath.. turning to glance toward her-.. so.. -another pause-.. theres a chance one of the children is his?.. or.. that both are?..or that neither are?.. -he took another breath-.. Wow.. -he rubbed his lips together.. slowly he moved to stand from the bed.. those flowing robes of his falling neatly back into place as he rolled his neck.. he was thinking.. he was processing it.. sure the possibility of it happening was there.. but he was certain she had gotten pregnant so much later.. like After all the nonsense with Aeson .. but no.. it seems he got it wrong.. she continued to speak.. talking of not judging him.. that she would respect his choices.. -.. Wow.. -he repeated.. s

slowly coming around to the side of the bed that she was seated upon.. before he pulled her into a soft embrace.. her head to his chest.. fingers resting against her hair-.. It was not expected.. no.. -he spoke softly-.. it was perhaps not something that either of us desired as an end result.. -though he'd never be truly sure with her.. not with how she called out to Ace in her sleep.. but that was for another time.. not now.. he just stroked his fingers through her hair-.. but it needs to be seen for what it is.. and that being a miracle.. -he tilted his head down to press his lips to the top of her head-.. I can only imagine how frightened you were here.. all on your own.. You should have sent word for me.. I would have come straight back.. and Im certain Nautilous would not have minded at all.. -he settled down to sit just across from her then.. there upon the bed.. his hands taking hers.. fingers intertwining-.. I love you.. all there is about you.. We will take this one step at a time.. and just wing it.. Im glad you had a chance to speak with Gia.. Ill bet that feels a lot better to have it all out in the open.. -he offered her a smile.. reaching with his right hand to cradle her cheek-.. We will walk this road together.. all of us.. with a great lot of supporters..

[Deleted]

He had surprised her.. quite a few times .. the new style of dress made her catch her breath.. the gifts were beautiful and heart felt.. showing just how much he knew about her.. just how much they knew and understood one another.. the hair pins.. earrings.. the gold leaf designs.. she felt honestly loved in his presence.. when he spoke about a petitioning Patron showering his Matron gifts .. well she just smiled.. reaching for his fingers.. to press his palm to her stomach.. -.. Youve given me more than I could ever.. Ever ask for my love.. -her lips were warm when they pressed to his cheek.. before the two of them would slide into step with one another.. arms linked as they walked toward this exclusive booth that had been organised.. he was worried.. so concerned about his behaviour and his manners.. she gave his hand a light squeeze as they settled in to sit-.. Just relax dear heart.. , You are worrying yourself over nothing I assure you.. You will do perfectly.. just being yourself.. You do not need to worry about decorum and presentation up here.. -she shot him a wink.. reminding him of the fact that yes whilst it may have been a first date..he did not have to be too concerned with Patron duties on the surface.. she spoke a little on Sydel.. and how.. it was affecting her underneath.. the guilt was like a trap.. an itch.. a reminder constantly.. of what she had caused.. -.. mm.. poetic words as usual.. -she offered him a smile.. a little nod-.. I fear.. there is no coming back from this one.. it was a bit too sharp..a bit too sudden.. the wounds were not properly cauterized.. they were left to fester on one side..all in vain hopes that someone else would step into a shadow that was already there.. -she lifted her glass as she took a drink.. it was handled poorly.. all of it was.. and whilst she'd not take any of it back.. it still stung a little.. she turned to glance out over the magnificent view.. this Nile.. or whatever it was called.. it was all quite stunning.. vast and open.. like nothing she had seen before.. -.. yes.. I tend to agree.. there is certainly something about this place.. something out of the ordinary.. something.. very magical..

-she turned that garnet gaze back toward him.. lingering a little with a smile-.. Im grateful I get to spend it with you too Thaylan.. for it was a dream we both had.. that we both drew.. that we both fantasized about.. You just got the jump ahead of me.. -she chuckled a little-.. thats all..-the food was delivered.. an interesting selection of goods.. wine and juices.. soups.. then bread and dips..the bird was intriguing..not something they had a lot of down in the underdark.. not a great lot of room to be flying around.. the dessert spiked her curiosity.. looking rather small and unassuming.. she could see the disappointment on her brothers face.. the way he looked perhaps a little.. perturbed by it.. before she watched the heated cream being poured.. and how it transformed into something very different indeed..-.. Ahh fascinating!.. -she smiled.. nodding her head o the staff in appreciation before they were left to finish their dessert ..it was delicious.. utterly and completely.. like nothing she had ever tasted.. and probably would never again.. she enjoyed a little more of that bubbly wine.. before the two of them would set out on their wander.. their walk.. soft warm sands beneath their feet.. the breeze still a little on the warm side.. but not near as hot or dry.. her arm remained linked with his.. -.. Think you're ready to step into the limelight of being a Patron?.. You seem almost nervous about it..

[BadInfluence]

“Indeed here I am.” She said with a smile as she was fairly sure she had never seen him drunk before. Even at the ‘party’ he hadn’t been drunk, just high, so this was a first and she was quickly realizing he was an incredibly cute and entirely adorable drunk. Something to definitely get him into again she knew that much and she was definitely not above asking Nautilous to take him out again on another boys night just because she had a feeling that doing these things? Was really going to help him feel better, more rested and grounded, everyone needed an outlet after all… “Pretty cool huh? What a funny way to put it. He is definitely unique.” There was no small amount of laughter in her voice as she said it either. Cool Guy… She could just imagine Nautilous being talked about in such a manner, he’d likely get one hell of a kick out of it, without a doubt. She knelt by his feet after he had called her over and began to spoil him just a little bit, massaging his feet after cleaning them off, just wanting him to relax… Get as comfortable as possible. She knew that once she started to get all this out that his high would be shot and she wanted him to feel warm and enveloped in love before she did. “Maybe, it’s entirely likely on that front but I’m such a foodie at heart I don’t know if I can ever fully curb it.” Food was a passion of hers after all, giving it up in any way was going to be hard, and as this pregnancy progressed she was rather certain she’d be in tears. Asking him how far down they had gotten it was more than enough to make her giggle as she tended him, removing the heavier, more formal garb as he told her about his night. She in turn told him what she had to say, gently easing into it at first, not her finest skill as she tended to be about as subtle as a hammer to the knees…

It was impossible to fault him for his concern, she’d miscarried every pregnancy so far, like it was some sort of curse she labored under. This time though it was far from the case, it was entirely different now, for the first time she was past that danger zone and in the clear… Barring some travesty. “Weightless huh? I don’t know if I can say that myself, from all I’ve encountered and seen it tends to cause more pain than good…” She continued on to explain that she was farther along than she first expected and his joy was bitter sweet, she was so glad to see him elated, to be excited in the role of a father sooner than first expected. In that same breath though she knew it wouldn’t last… Indeed she might be spending the night in gut churning depression because of what she had to say. She settled his head in her lap and continued to massage him, fingers running through his hair as she tried her very best to create an environment of just gentle calm and peace, love and support… How would he take it? How angry would he be? Would he be out in the open and upfront about it? Or would he burry it down like he had with Cara? Would he see her as just a repeat? Would it drive a wedge between them in the extent that he would leave her? Break it off like Ace had? After all Ace said he loved her but left her anyways… Wouldn’t Jacob hold the potential to do the same? Especially being down in the under dark with her? She didn’t stop him when he moved to get up, his voice much heavier, there was a leaden like aura around him now where before there had just been a touch of goofy mirth…

She remained silent outside of a few words, carefully chosen but vital all the same, she would respect any choice he made… This might be her pregnancy but the choices they had made in the past were painfully present now, things that back then were something that she had been tricked into then guided into wanting, needing… At times she could have pulled her hair out for it… For all the pain and anger that was built up under the skin because of how it had all come about. It was her fault… She should have told them about her struggles instead of burring it all deep down. She should have told them flat out that she was losing large tracks of her memory, hours missing that she couldn’t account for, been honest about her fears… Even if she had though she didn’t think it would have changed a whole lot… Ace would have still seen it as too much work and left. Unfair? Maybe. She still felt conflicted with Ace, she wanted so many different things and none of them were on the same page, like scattered chapters in a book she hadn’t read yet; none of it made sense… Too many gaps… She couldn’t make out the full picture yet and it frustrated her and made her resort to anger because it was the only thing that made her feel less helpless.

“I wish it were different honestly… I didn’t want anything to tie me to him anymore, I just want an ending, a clean break but… It wasn’t in the cards.” She was quietly hoping she was wrong and that Ace wasn’t the father after all, that there was nothing inside her that had any part of him, that it was just her and Jacob and that she could start to build up walls against him… But if she was right there was no chance of that… No matter how much she wanted to keep him out, his son would always be with her, she’d always see him in the little boy and she’d never be free of him. “Even so at the time it was what happened…” Ace’s words burning in her ears like acid… Jacob had put Ace up to it, having him virtually rape her as she slept, thinking it was Jacob who was making love to her… Terrifying… Jacob hadn’t done it to be like that and she herself couldn’t cry foul… She’d loved every moment of it… It was impossible to think or regret when the memory was nothing but pleasure. She let out a heavy sigh as he touched her hair, her head falling forward a bit, everything felt like she was weighed down with a hundred times more gravity than should have been present… “Even scared there are times you have to bear up on your own… I know this isn’t easy for you but you’re bearing up for me…” If he did it then why shouldn’t she? Being with Ace had been incredibly bitter sweet but Jacob acted as though all was well, water under the bridge, but deep down she knew otherwise… Crow told her the truth that Jacob couldn’t force himself to say… The bitter resentment, the hatred that had blossomed in his heart, the fear… Jacob loved her so much but he was afraid of losing her, no matter how often she told him otherwise, and she knew it was part of the thing that was keeping them from being at peace… The same thing with her though… She always afraid to see him leave because of her own short comings… Was this what it meant to be so in love with someone your greatest fear is losing them?

Fingers entangled she looked across to him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder for a moment, she felt so heavy honestly… Nothing about this was fair, was it? “I wanted you to have fun Jacob… You need things like this, you are always so selfless and loving, you always put everyone before yourself. I wanted you to have some fun and I really wish I didn’t tell you tonight but holding it in didn’t seem right either…” She paused, looking up at him as he cradled her cheek, the gold in her eyes was slowly starting to fade bit by bit… Being away from Hanali… From the Gods… It was allowing herself to become more stable… More centered… The vibrant almost glowing gold was fading into something far more beautiful though… Something more her… The green of her eyes before were morphed into something that looked like a golden starburst with flecks of the softest green and gold hues… “Gia is a miracle in her own right… She gave me a lot of advice and it felt like I had a mother for the first time…” Maybe that was how Jacob felt about Nautilous? Or Garafin? Having someone older and wiser than you to lean on? To see as a parental figure? She was silent for a moment and looked down at their linked hands, her fingers curled around his, the softer gold of her skin compared to his own pale flesh… “Hey… Jacob?” She asked softly as she leaned on his shoulder a little more, her fingers curling in a little tighter around his, holding him a little firmer… “You know… I know that I am not easy… I’ve been really chaotic… Random and seeming like I can’t settle… There’s reasons for it but I can’t explain them…” Not that she didn’t want to, she did, she just didn’t know how to make it make sense… Or how to prove it was the truth… Outside of something very private…

“Tonight… Will you enter my revere with me? We can ask Nautilous to stand guard and make sure it goes properly… I need you to see what goes on so you can understand…” And if he didn’t like what he saw? Then he had the chance to leave before they were married… “There will be a lot of ugly things in there… Things that might make you sick to your stomach… But it will show you more than I can explain…” It would show him exactly where her heart lay… And while yes, things with Ace were chaotic and confusing, that wasn’t the man who had her heart… Jacob did, entirely in every way, and given time… Ace would fade into the shadows and she’d stop talking about him in her sleep… Her soul would settle… But right now more than anything she wanted him to see things… Vital things…

[BadInfluence]

When she pressed his hand to her belly he was still in a state of shock in so many ways… He had been hardly more than a man, barely an adult when they had conceived Anya , an accidental but beautiful surprise, something that had been stolen from him due to customs and taboos. Yet now, here they stood some twenty years later with the chance to do it all over again, this time he could be here… Together… Husband and wife, father and mother, oh he couldn’t believe how blessed he was. He was excited and anxious for so many reasons and yet… Over all he just felt joy. Pure Joy. “I believe it is a two way path my sweet sister… I am just as overwhelmed and joyous as you are… After all, those are our daughters right there, beautiful and perfect as their mother…” But she was right… He was acting very much not himself, he was normally much calmer, far more at ease than this. He was… Perhaps… Putting himself through hell for nothing. She loved him for hm, but at the same time he had seen many patrons, seen the way they were so… Puffed up… High on their own status… Pompous and irritating… He didn’t want to be any of those but as her patron he couldn’t exactly be his normal silent, observant self…. Could he? “I fear you are right… But I have no worthy Patrons to model after, they have all been arrogant, stupid and vexingly irritating… Always putting on airs as though they licked Lloths own toes… I can not be what I am not… I am by nature a quiet man… Reserved and watchful… But is that acceptable as a Patron? Is that something you could find yourself content with?” After all a Matron was judged by her Patron, they had to be of a certain caliber or they would drag her down, and while his breeding was impeccable? He lacked the desire to be seen as a show off…

Speaking about Sydel would likely be a very tender and sore spot for her, and he knew as well as she did that choices had been made, the right choices but performed poorly. “You do not have to come back from anything… Rather start anew… It will be different than what you once had but different is not always bad…” Though he knew for a fact that while Nautilous had made his choice rapidly and acted harshly… He had done it out of fear of losing Gia if he waited to do it properly… Did he blame him? No… But he did blame him for not trying to stay behind and patch it up AFTER explaining everything to Gia… Now Sydel was stuck in a limbo mentally and emotionally, not sure where to step or how, and as one of his best friends he felt deeply for her… He was saddened for her state and he desperately wished he could change it… But he also felt in many ways that if he went towards her she would rebuke him and turn him away no matter how good his intentions and purposes were. “I think he should go back and apologize… Though I do not think at this current moment he has the maturity to do so… Not without bungling it. He’s growing up now, evolving into a man in every sense, but until he reaches his peak… It would do more harm than good…” And he wondered if it was wise for the two to come together… Old habits died hard and if Nautilous went back and saw how sad she was… Her struggles… He might stay despite how bad it would be for everyone.

Turning the conversation to something happier, or at least neutral, he talked about this place… The beauty and openness of it all, the magic that seemed to linger in every breath, in every scent and sight… “I would have taken you away with me… I tried so many times to try and think of a way to take you away but I knew if I did, you would only resent it, knowing the house would fall without you… Your happiness would be tainted and soiled by the darkness that would linger in your mind.” She would feel as if she failed if he had taken her away with him and while he knew her heart was bottomless and beautiful, her mind was stronger than even that and it would never let her rest, it would ride her with spurs of guilt if she did… “Through the letters I wrote you as the years wound on I painted many pictures for you, described my adventures, what I had seen… Hoping you might live vicariously through me… But now there is no need… For I am sure as our daughters grow we will take many happy weekends here to the surface to have adventures all our own.” Many beautiful ones, memories upon memories, things to warm them all their lives… Dinner had come then in every stage and he consumed it all, even what she could not finish, for while the food was familiar to him in a way to her it was likely far too complex… Too new… But when Dessert came his heart fell a touch, given how amazing everything else had been he fully expected dessert to be the climax, but it would seem the chef had limp dick for he felt nothing but disappointment after the build up. However, when it was figured out? Oh his face lit up and he consumed his portion with no small bit of gusto, the chilly dessert utterly amazing against the heat of the world around them, making it a perfect end to a wonderful meal.

When it was done though he had a terribly full belly and a walk sounded like the ideal way to help it all settle, taking her arm in his as they wandered along the bank of the Nile, the air here much cooler and the water surprisingly cold and refreshing… At her words he was silent for some moments as he processed it before speaking, knowing why she was asking, after all his behavior had been a touch sporadic and random through the last few hours… “I am… Just not in the way the others have been. I am only myself. I will support you as I always have, offer you wise counsel and help you carry the heavy burdens of your position as a good husband should, but I will never be flamboyant or excessively charismatic… I can be charming but I will never be the life of the party… What of you? Are you ready for me to be in this role with you?”

[Deleted]

he exhaled softly when she said she wished it were all different.. that she didn't want anything that would tie her to Aeson anymore.. -.. mm.. Sometimes it just doesn't work out the way we want it too.. There's a lot of things in my life that I wish would have gone a different way.. I wish I'd never lost my Mother.. I wish I'd known Diovan was my Father.. he was right there when I was growing up.. I wish Id never married Cara.. that Id never met Grace.. -his brows furrowed-.. and honestly.. I wish Id never introduced you to Ace back at the Inn.. none of this would have happened.. -his shoulders sunk a little.. his high was well and truly gone.. he'd hit that overtly honest emotional stage that came after alcohol.. but not usually quite this quickly.. -.. But.. here we are.. and this is possibly how it will be.. if one of those children is his.. then.. so be it.. Ill not see that child in any other light.. I wont treat them any differently..we will just take this one step at a time.. -he nodded.. reaching across to cradle her cheek.. brushing his thumb across the soft skin.. just looking to her.. having noticed the changes.. how the colouring in her eyes was shifting.. - I really did enjoy tonight yes.. spending a bit of time talking with Nautilous about family matters and.. just idle chatter was really quite lightening to the soul.. but I implore you.. you know you can talk to me anytime about anything.. We have a thing remember.. -he motioned between them both-.. honesty.. always.. -he glanced over to her when she went to ask him a question.. resting her in closer.. leaning against him.. -.. mm.. you're really not as bad as you think you are sweetheart.. we are all a bit chaotic at times.. we can all be spacey and unhinged..

-he rubbed his hand up and down her arm-.. I think you are looking into it all a bit deeper than is necessary.. -his head inclined when she asked for him to enter the reverie with her.. that she'd ask Nautilous to stand guard-.. are you sure?.. -he'd question.. -.. I was under the impression you hadn't really delved much into that before?.. it can be quite jarring for first timers.. -he fell silent as she explained further.. putting her reasons down on the table.. that there would be ugly things.. stuff that would probably make him uncomfortable-..Rose.. We all have shadows in our past.. some are a lot darker and a lot harder to avoid than others.. but we all do.. Ill be there at your side at your request.. of course.. -he nodded.. pressing his lips to the side of her head-.. if you think it will help you Ill be there.. -he was unsure just how it would help to know everything about her.. for they all had skeletons in the closet.. and not all secrets had to be told but he wouldn't question her.. he could tell she was smarting from this.. especially with the news about Aesons possible child.. so right now he would do anything to keep her nice and calm.. his palm came down to rest there upon her stomach.. -.. So soon.. it's really quite exciting isn't it.. We have got so much ahead of us now.. and here I thought we were already quite busy.. its only going to get ten times worse when they decide to show themselves.. -he smiled.. squeezing her a little tighter-.. I think Nautilous is organising some story telling.. or something.. if you're feeling up to it?.. we dont have to go though.. we can just curl up and relax in here.. Im positive he would understand.. -he nodded.. giving her the chance to decide what it was she wanted to do.. with the day being up and down he understood if she just preferred to rest.. -.. I have a letter to write back to Diovan... but that wont take long.. what says you my sweet?.. what would you like to do?

[Deleted]

-The Hotels restaurant was striking, it held all the qualities of a High Noble House back in her home, they were incredibly well looked after.. anything they desired would come to be.. though the pair of them desired little more than to be left alone.. she simply wanted his company.. enjoying this moment.. they'd never really had this before so it was all rather novel.. the two of them were on an actual date.. something they would have only ever dreamt of in their youth.. his concerns on not measuring up when it came to being her Patron had her pausing.. exhaling softly as she swirled the bubbling wine in her glass-.. You dont need to measure up to anyone else love.. You are far from arrogant or irritating.. stupid or vexing.. and if you were we would not be here today.. -she reached her hand across to rest atop his own.. long slender fingers curled around to hold-.. Your personal traits are at their core.. perfection for a properly trained Patron.. You just havent seen one yet.. -her head inclined.. that garnet gaze lingered-.. You have only ever had the most ridiculous Patrons to model of..-the corners of her lips curled into a smile as she reached with that same hand to tap just beneath his chin..before she settled comfortably back in her seat-.. A Patrons first and foremost important duty is to beget children, with a high preference for daughters.. -she glanced across to him over the rim of her glass.. before she took a small sip-.. Check and Check.. A Patron is a position of great favour and trust.. they are to be absolutely loyal to their Matron ..-she tilted her head once more-.. Check.. A Patron is recognised by all as another set of eyes and ears that report directly and only to her.. -she shot him a wink-.. I do believe you only just now spoke on being.. reserved and watchful...so.. Check.. To me.. and to many others.. once we are established I do believe you will find that you will be seen as Perfect for this role.. I am more than content with you at my side my love.. and I look forward to the day when it is all official and we can put all the secrecy behind us..

-the topic shifted to that of Sydel and it was clear that.. even with such beautiful surrounds and lovely company that it was affecting her.. there was an amount of guilt.. just simmering beneath the surface.. she nodded when he spoke on that Nautilous should go back and apologize-.. I do tend to agree with you.. He does need to close things off.. properly and with a certain amount of decorum.. but yes I fear that he doesn't quite have the resilience that would come with maturity to do it effectively.. Its tough.. -her hands came down to rest there upon her lap-.. He is learning more and more about himself as each day passes.. which is wonderful yes.. but he cant run from this.. None of us can.. Sydel is connected to all of us.. in different ways.. and I fear.. if he doesn't handle it.. it has the chance to turn volatile.. -she took another drink from her glass-.. time is needed.. -she nodded.. -.. no decisions have to be made just yet -his anxiety on Nautilous possibly deciding to stay if it were to happen had crossed her mind.. a few times.. but it was not spoken about.. she just hoped that the young man had made his decisions firmly.. for marriage in Menzoberranzan was no joke or passing fantasy.. there was no divorce.. only death.. she smiled when he spoke on taking her away within.. that he had tried so many times..-.. mm.. Oh I know.. and you're right I possibly would have resented it.. it was just not the right time.. I sincerely wish I had of gotten your letters though.. that still bothers me to this very day.. I have no idea what happened to those.. -she frowned.. shaking her head.. - I can only imagine Valkryn intercepted them all somehow.. or maybe it was Chaka.. I dont know.. I would have loved to have read about your adventures.. would have made my dreary nights a lot more colourful..-the dessert was delivered.. and what seemed to be perhaps a little disappointing turned out to be something spectacular indeed.. the meal was perfect.. it sat so well in her stomach.. she was comfortably full on food she had never eaten before.. so that was a first.. the two of them wandered down that sandy path.. arm in arm as she leant against him.. she smiled.. even going so far as chuckling a little when he spoke about not being flamboyant or charismatic-.. Oh I think our WeaponsMaster will check all of those boxes so you will not have to worry.. -she nudged his side a little. before they came to a stop there.. and she looked up to him.. -. I am more than ready for you to be in that role.. I have been waiting for this.. my entire life.. You and me.. side by side.. or.. well by protocol you'd be a step back and to the left.. -she spoke playfully- but you know what I mean.. You are my perfect Patron.. I dont need you to be colourful.. or loud.. I dont need you to be dripping with charisma .. I just need My Thaylan .. the one I have known forever..the one who just got so bashful and shy when I asked him out on a date..The one who knows just how I like to do my hair and his touch puts me to sleep Every single time.. The one Our daughter adores..The one I would trust with my life... the only Patron I ever wanted.. Just you.. -she gave his hands a light squeeze.. lingering there.. just looking to him with a genuine smile.. -.. Think you could do me one more thing?.. escort this poor defenceless woman back to the Hotel?.. lest I get lead astray?..

[BadInfluence]

“I guess it brings to mind the old saying, wish in one hand and spit in the other, see which one fills up faster…” She wished it was different for so many reasons but in the end? What was there to do? He had his regrets, more than perhaps she did, more things he wished could have been different too… And with her keeping up this negative dirge of conversation the less honor she was doing him. Ace really was right, that beast, she was blessed in a lot of ways but this last year she’d been doing little more than focusing on the negative of things. Maybe she’d taken on way too much at once? Drive herself to a place she felt she had to be, that she believed people expected of her, when at the end of the day? Nothing could be more different. All of this was on her and she was realizing this now but hopefully… Not too late… “I wish a lot of those things for you too but look at me… Here I am bringing up a world of negative… There’s good things to all of those if you think about it… Because you didn’t know Diovan you got raised by Garafin who is an amazing and wonderful man, someone anyone can look up to, a genuinely good soul with a laugh louder than anything I’ve ever heard…” She did this… She brought this cloud down… She had been doing so for months… And why had she not really seen any of this till now? Why was she so late on the catch up? “Cara was your first heart break and you need to know that pain so you can appreciate the pleasure of love, right?... It also helped you refine what a friend is and does for someone…” Because with Cara? Came Ric…. “Grace was… Your first adventure, we’ll call it that, yeah? She made you feel alive to your toes and she taught you things, maybe not all of them good, but no adventure is perfectly smooth…” And she could bite her tongue off for that later because she HATED Grace! She had event intention of killing her oh that was no maybe or if, that was a damned guarantee! As for Ace… “You loved him with all your heart… He helped you come out of the tar and despair that had coated you… He taught you that you were braver and stronger than you first thought… You did everything with that golden heart of yours in the right place and it wasn’t as thought it were all bad… He made us laugh a lot and we all felt some very high servings of pleasure together.” She wouldn’t dig deeper into it either, she was skating that one along the top, letting it just float there without being delved into further. “Everything that was rotten for you, for us, has a bit of sweetness at the core… Our babies will grow up in the most unique situation… They’ll be born with a brother, a best friend and a companion, a partner in crime and someone to drive him to be the best he can be. We didn’t have siblings so imagine how sweet this will be… They’ll never be alone like we were and if this little boy is going to be anything like Ace? Then we’re going to laugh a lot too… And likely cry and be scared silly for them both… They’ll be amazing little hellions and at the end of the day? There’s really no mother, no father or children, there’s just love… A home…” And that was what she was going to believe from now on…

As he spoke on, telling her about the honesty thing she knew he was right and she nodded her head, her hands twisting in her lap again… The same nerves… “While you were out I wrote Ace about the baby… And he started to act pretty intense through the letters so I went to Splinter to see him…” Fuck it. Fuck it all, right? No Lies… Burn or not this was how it was going to have to go. “I went down to tell him to stay away from us. I told him that I wanted him no where near us or our children and if he dared that you would kill him yourself.” Yep… She’d said that. He had said it himself more than once in her presence and she honestly knew he could… Ace was strong yes but he was also older, his reflexes and his mind were being rotted from the inside out by alcohol and drugs, they’d be nothing compared to Jacob in this current state… “He wasn’t happy, tried to push me but we got into a good fight and I wouldn’t back down, and in the end he agreed to leave us alone… We won’t see anything from him Jacob… From today on we can put him behind us.” She had at least done that… Gotten Ace to leave them alone and while she didn’t know if he had meant what he said, if he would let them go and leave them be, there was a chance he’d go back on everything he said if he wanted to do so. It was Ace after all, the only rules he followed were his own, much like Nautilous honestly… Rules weren’t for men like them…

She was curled up against his side as she was trying to sort her soul out, while she wasn’t a tornado anymore there was still a lot of wreckage, a lot to sort through which was a damned mess. “I am pretty sure I am… One of the things Ace told me was that I was nothing more than a pretty slut and I’d break your heart, he even went as far as to guarantee it, and it’s that damn thing that’s making me feel as if I’m in a constant state of panic…” Was Ace right? Was she? Because at the time she had admitted as much to him but was she actually so bad as to break Jacob’s heart? Inside him there was a killer who loved nothing more than to watch the world burn, a cold hearted murderer with blood on his hands but only the softest touch for her, deep down she and Jacob were so similar… They’d kill for each other… “I keep thinking you’ll walk out like Ace did but I know it’s a two way street… I know I loved Ace hard… And I know I’m not fully over the break up either, inside I am still hurting, still bruised and wishing I could have closure so I could heal but that might never come…” Wise Gia… Kind Gia… What a beautiful soul and she had been there for her when she needed in a way she’d never expected and yet so desperately needed. “And I can tell you with all my soul that I am never leaving you, but deep down you might worry just as much as I do regardless, not because we doubt each other but because we doubt ourselves… Neither of us has been blessed with healthy relationships before each other, we’ve been burned a lot by people who should have loved and cared for us so now it’s like we have this flinch, a twitch burred in us because of it.. Making us fear that it’s just another shoe drop away…” She said as she let out a deep breath, but with it all being out now she realized a bit what he had meant earlier, and while she didn’t feel light… OR weightless as Gia had even mentioned herself… She did feel as if a goo bulk of what had been crushing her soul had been shifted elsewhere… Off of her and away…

“I’ve never done a revere but I don’t know how to show you what I mean when I say I’ll never leave you… That I love you with every atom of my very existence from now into the very moment where all creation ceases to exist and there is nothing but a void… and even there I’d love you…” But was it enough?... She felt it was but what she felt… What good did it do when he couldn’t feel it? “I wish you could see the way I look at you, or how I feel even just thinking about you, the way you make my heart beat faster and slower all at the same time… You make my palms sweat and my mind spin and yet you’re the sweetest peace I’ve ever dreamed of being blessed to know… You are my Greatest Blessing Jacob, I know right now things are chaotic, we’re at a crossroad in a big way and we don’t know what’s going to lay before us… We’ve never traveled this route before but I want to be with you anyways…” Everything from Menzoberranzan was new, from the moment they had agreed to be the first pale skins in Menzoberranzan they were trading a path none had ever walked before, and yet they were lucky… They had a good support system and at the end of the day they were blessed… It was scary but love and family gave them lanterns to navigate the dark. His hand pressed to her belly her fingers curled over his and held it just a little firmer, letting him feel that while she was still slender her stomach was hard, there was a firmness there of growing lives… “It will be unfiltered chaos in every sense of the world but when these little ones come out to say hello? They’ll be seeing their daddy first and foremost, because it’s his hands that will help their mother bring them into the world, it will be his voice they hear and they’ll know it… Because they know that voice? Is the one that loves them, has waited for them so patiently, and can’t wait to be the father to them he always dreamed of.” And she hoped that was how it would all go… That Jacob would help her deliver and that he would be happy, in love with them when they came out, because now that this had all be said? She was never going to bring up that these babies were anyone but his.

“I think a bit of story telling sounds amazing… We can curl up on a big pillow and enjoy the show, enjoy some snacks and get that lovely buzz back that you had before I went and put out your fire…” She said as she stood up then, reaching down to take his hand so he could stand too, moving in to wrap her arms about his shoulders and just held him close… Tight… Willing her immense love and adoration for him to seep through her skin and be absorbed into him… “I’ll go and organize the drinks and a hookah, Nautilous would know all the best sort of stuff for it, I’m sure he will likely partake of a good bit of it himself since this is a celebration visit here… Imagine, you’ll be his son tomorrow, you’ll be a Dragonsbane instead of Anikin… Jacob Dragonsbane… It sounds as fierce and strong as you are…” She said with a smile as she looked up to him, her hands sliding up his arms to cradle his face, looing up into those beautiful eyes. “I am sorry my love… For letting everything catch up and consume me… I was so busy seeing the storm that I forgot I have the sun… You’re everything to me and I promise from here on out I will never ever let myself lose track of my blessings… Of You… Now go pen your letter while I organize everything… And if you think you’re up to it… Why not write a list of things I can do to make up for things? Can be anything you want me to do, naughty or nice and I’ll do them all, on my honor as an up and coming doctor.” She said with a wink before she’d head out that door to grab up Nautilous and start to scheme away with him… Gia too once she came back and asked for a little bit of the drugs from the party, just a little pinch for the hookah… Nothing grand but enough for everyone to be feeling exceptionally well….

[BadInfluence]

“Is that so?” He said with a wry, gentle smile as he looked across the table to her there, her words were calm and centering… Everything he had always had from her. “I find myself tripping from time to time in our world… I’ve been away from it longer than I was in it, at my core I remember certain things, but there are others that I find taking longer in coming…” Customs and traditions, proper etiquette for someone of his breeding and rank, when to speak and when to stay silent as was his habit. He was not a chatty person and never had been, he was far more often silent than not, calm and collected… But this was edging him a touch, gritting on his normally smooth corners, making it rough and gritty… He had to talk and mingle far more here than he ever had to as a Harlequin and it showed in the way he was at times long gone, vanished into thin air if only to get a few moments silence to re-center himself, to get himself to a place where he could talk without feeling forced… “Though it appears I have ticked all the necessary boxes but forgive me if I don’t become slovenly, it is the spider who gets comfortable that is eaten by his mate, is it not?” A low, soft chuckle passing his lips before he’d take a sip of his own wine as their conversation turned much as the might river Nile outside. “Besides, I rather like you keeping me on my toes, especially when there is leather involved… I’m almost jealous of our lover getting you all to himself like that, tsk, tonight I shall tie him up and have him watch how it’s done properly…” Oh that wink was sky, his voice had turned dark and sweet as Deathshead wine, utterly seductive and the only time his voice ever came that way was for her… Something she’d recall from their many trysts as youths… IT was his way of telling her exactly what he needed without having to put it into so many words…

One of the turns of that conversation came to her guilt over Sydel, he could feel it as if he carried it himself, sunk into his bones and he so wished that she could understand he would help her carry that guilt if she only willed it so… “I fear in some ways it has… Rose reports that all her letters to Diovan in regards to Sydel have been filled with report back of her refusing to talk about her… And while letters from Jacob are received there has been no overtures to Rose what so ever…” Poor Sydel, she was like a lonely survivor of a sudden and vicious plague, one moment she had everything and everyone familiar around her and the next they were gone in a flash… Leaving her to wander the city that had once been full of memories and now was empty and forlorn… Just echoing with the past long gone and never to be the same again… People might return to houses, life might once more resume on the cobbled streets, but it would never be what it was… And Sydel was left there to remember it all… A hostage to things she had never wished for… A ghost among the living… “Not yet no… They have time to allow a touch more dust to settle… But even when things are done between them… Do you wish to restart your own relationship? It will never be what it once was, that cavern has collapsed and a new river runs through it, but there may be others yet to explore… But you have to decide to put that foot there… Personally I wonder if she might resent me as well and have kept my distance since I would prefer to not upset her further.” He just hoped, no matter what came of it, that at the very least peace was found on all sides… Not a happy one most like, and the white flag erected would never be blood free, it would always bear grime and soot from all it had been put through… But it would stand one day.

Talk of spiriting her away as youths had come up but he just knew it would be a bad idea… She would resent it and feel as if she had given up everything their mother had trained her for… A Matron is the Mother of her people and she would have felt as though she had abandoned her own children he was sure… Especially given Chaka was a beast and had absolutely no skill or finesse when it came down to ruling. “Who knows but someone certainly was… But given the war that had come after I fear it was Chaka… Filtering mail seems above Valkyrns mental grade…” Ah huh… Valk didn’t have the brain cells to rub together to think that he should be going through someone’s letters to find a rather strange and unlabeled letter to the Matron… “I will gladly leave all the suave and debonair things to him, the man was born with more charisma than this place has heat, he virtually glows with it but somehow manages to avoid coming off as entirely full of himself.” A damned rare trait as most men with his style of confidence lacked the charm to pull it off, often coming off as incredibly prideful and vain, but not their lover oh no… He had that down pat… “Back and to the left huh? Well that works out for me as your left ass cheek is my favorite.” HE said as if it were nothing what so ever, laughing when she nudged then proceeded to poke him, the two of them have a great time after the amazing meal was done and over with. “I will always be Your Thaylan, my sweet Gia, I can be nothing else. I was born to be here with you, our fates and hearts entwined in our mothers womb, we can never be apart… I will stand ever silent and vigilant to guard you and protect our family… To be your Perfect Patron and give you gaggles of little girls to raise…” The last was wait with his hand finding hers and giving her hand a warm squeeze as he leaned down and kisses the sweet hollow of her temple before moving to her forehead and repeating the same. Her Request to lead her back had him pausing for a moment, fingers on his chin as he pondered it, looking to the side a bit. “Well… I could… And I should… But I am pretty sure we both have a good deal of fun when you go astray…” He teased before he’d place her hand on his arm and lead her back up the river and towards the hotel once more.

Once they were inside they’d be surrounded by a room that had been changed greatly, littered with the most vibrant hued pillows and billowing curtains of linen and chiffon, scented oil laps casting the room in various levels of brightness and shadow… Incense burning low and thick… The room heavily perfumed and obviously laced as within minutes anyone in the room would become deliciously high and relaxed… There was a man who appeared older than the pyramids sitting towards the back atop a small throne, covered in hundreds of layers of robes, each one a different color and thickness, his head carrying an incredibly heavy turban decorated with gems of all colors and sizes… Magic just poured off of him yet it was unlike anything they would have felt before, his face well hidden and only eyes black as jet peered out of a face that seemed more wrinkled than the bark of a tree. Rose was there with Nautilous, the two of them chatting softly as they moved about and make sure things were set up properly, Nautilous himself wearing nothing but the same Egyptian skirt that she had seen him in at the pool. There was a table filled with drinks and hookahs, little paper strips with names on them for the order which people would be sitting, all of it centered around the ancient man in the complex garb…

[Deleted]

-he tilted his head when she spoke about all the good things that came from his misfortunes.. taking a quiet breath-.. and yes, whilst those are all very true.. why dont you do the same for yours?.. If all of my misfortunes have had a turn around for the better.. why cant yours?.. -he rubbed his lips together lightly when she went down the track of talking about Aeson.. how much love was shared amongst them all.. -.. Id much rather we didn't speak about Ace.. if thats alright with you.. I have no desire to.. -his right hand slid back to rub against the back of his neck lightly-.. I just have nothing further to say to him.. therefore Id rather not use up any of my time speaking his name.. We have much better and much more important things to talk about and to fill out time with sweetheat.. Our children will have a loving home.. a close knit family and they will have a lot of support.. thats all any child will ever need.. -there was a noticeable squint when she said she had gone to Silverthorn when he was out.. he wasn't happy about that.. and it said as much all over his face.. -.. Rose.. no.. -he shook his head-.. That was incredibly risky and.. really quite unsafe for you and our children.. You know he is volitile.. what were you hoping to achieve from such a visit?.. Please for the love of Hanali do not do that again.. -he rubbed his hand across his forehead-.. He could have done anything.. and no one here would have known where you had gone.. The simple fact he knows about the child alone is going to cause so many ripples.. He's not going to leave it.. and certainly not with threats on his life if he considers coming after us.. -his head dropped back-.. Ill have to go and speak with Nautilous.. about this.. make sure he is aware of what could be coming in the future.. -he knew now he wouldn't be letting you out of his sight.. he wouldn't be having any more of those nights out.. because at any moment either Ace could turn up.. or she might just take off again.. he took a breath.. exhaling it slowly-.. Its fixable.. with a guard.. I am shifting away from the medical side down there.. to the Army with Nautilous.. Ill make sure you have guards on you.. from now on..

-his arm remained around her.. listening to her speak about what Ace had said to her.. nonsense and lies.. -.. His end goal was to get into your head and it worked.. as a Doctor I would hope my dear that you would recognise quickly what stress can do to a pregnancy.. especially to one as advanced as this one is right now.. please calm.. -he rubbed his hand up and down her arm there softly-.. I would hope you wouldn't think so lowly of me that I would just walk out on you like that my dear.. I am done with him.. I am not hurting inside.. I am not smarting from it.. I channelled any emotion I had into anger and Ive held onto that.. that and Ive been to busy with work to even give it much thought so its gone.. I wont give him the power over me.. not anymore.. Your peace is much more important than driving yourself crazy trying to understand why it happened the way it did.. You are holding onto him simply because you had a history together.. -he exhaled-.. Closure only happens when you accept that letting go and moving on are more important than projecting a fantasy of how the relationship could have been. Its time to let it go.. Do not see him or communicate with him again.. please.. -he tilted his head as he looked down to her-.. I am not worried about you leaving.. I am not giving such a wasteful amount of energy away to that.. I do not doubt myself.. and yes ive been burned.. but so has everyone else.. everyone that we know has been burned at least once.. we have all been through hell.. weve all got the scars from it.. If you keep giving it power its going to win.. Ive come to realise that f youre going to leave.. then there is little i can do about it.. I tend to think you wont.. What we have is pretty special.. and we are living it right now..

-he was trying to get her to understand that dwelling on all that shit was pointless.. and all it did was make them miserable.. and who wanted to spend their nights emotional over shit that couldn't be changed.. -.. I know that you love me.. You accepted my proposal.. Your carrying my child.. You look out for my welfare.. You want to be around my family.. and those I call my friends.. I do see all of this.. just by looking at you.. I dont need you to proove it to me.. but I will go into the Reverie with you if you want me too.. if it will make you settle and feel better Ill be right there beside you.. every step of the way.. You need only tell me what you decide my love.. Ill always be there.. -he leant down to brush his lips to the top of her head.. the night was waring on a little.. he mentioned the story telling.. before the two of them moved to stand.. he looked down to her as she reached up to hold him.. his arms slid around her.. fingers interlacing against her lower back.. he offered her a genuine smile.. -.. and soon enough you too will be a Dragonsbane.. but as for the rest.. no more apologies.. you go and get comfortable.. organise away and i will be out very shortly.. Ill just pen this reply first.. -a sweet soft kiss to her forehead would be pressed before he would settle back down at the desk.. writing the reply out to Diovan.. perfect penmanship.. thick Egyptian paper that would give away their location easily enough.. before it would be sent on its way.. he would move to stand.. making his way out into the main area where it had been all dressed up.. the different scents on the air.. the warmth and just general beauty of the room.. he glanced across to Rose and Nautilous.. giving a smile before he would glance down to the table settings.. and he would settle in to sit-

[Deleted]

..she paused for a little while when he asked if once the dust had settled would she be wanting to reunite with Sydel.. to restart the relationship.. nursing the glass of bubbled wine a bit longer.. -..mm.. thats a bit hard to answer.. I guess it would be highly dependant on how things ended between them. As it stands right now?.. no, there is no way I would revisit it.. it would be uncomfortable for more than just myself. It would have the possibility to put Nautilous in an uncomfortable position and then of course Sydel.. I wont put myself in the middle of them.. so Im really at a bit of a loss.. I dont know.. as for what she thinks of you my dear, I really dont know.. You two were quite close as friends once upon a time.. You had helped her out a lot, I think it will be me.. that is the issue.. what with your connection to me.. for in as much as I did not initially approach Nautilous to blossom this outcome.. I have become the other woman that has it seems torn down a marriage and a family in the process.. -whilst the blame may not directly lay with her.. it caused a lot of thick air to settle.. the future of any relationship between herself and her favourite lilly white elf was on incredibly shaky crumbly ground.. the two of them finished their meals.. the service and food was incredible.. just perfection and it left them both feeling comfortably full and just really very good.. they took that evening stroll.. warm sand at their feet.. beautiful and slightly cheeky conversation shared.. it was cute and she didn't realise how much she missed just talking to him.. it was so natural.. it flowed so well.. they headed back to the Hotel.. her hand curled around his arm as he escorted her.. the change in decor was enchanting.. the curtains and pillows.. the layers of chiffon and scented oils.. the incense was thick.. making the room heavily perfumed.. the high though barely registered.. it would take a lot more to turn the heads of the drow.. but it was nice all the same.. she caught a glimpse of Rose.. offering her a smile.. a little nod of her head.. she was pleased to see the young girl seemingly a bit happier.. hoping that all went well with the much needed chat with Jacob.. her gaze then fell upon Nautilous in this skirt.. Oh she recognised it.. the one and the same from the pool that fate filled evening.. -.. You have outdone yourself.. -she offered a smile.. it intrigued her.. it was all so new.. and not something she would have ever expected.. the gentleman in his coloured robes was interesting.. before she would turn to the table with the place cards.. the wine and drinks.. she would smooth out the back of that dress of hers before she would settle in to sit.. curious as to just what this storytelling was going to be about.. -

[BadInfluence]

“It seems we have a niche for getting ourselves into romantic inclinations without a clear outcome…” He said gently with a wry smile on his handsome features. They had fallen in love with one another, the greatest of taboo, the sin of all sins and yet it had not stopped them. Now they loved another who was even more of a taboo to love, broken and bleeding the two of them, and no truly safe or sane way to proceed in any affair of the heart. “Though that is what makes it beautiful, isn’t it?... Their love, our love, the way we all emmesh… We’re like an elaborate, somewhat convoluted spiderweb, littered with corpses and shadows of our past. Perhaps that is what suits us best.” No one could understand how complicated love and life was more than they. Gia and he had both been wrapped up in more ways than one with the struggles of life, both in the Under Dark and on the Surface, travesties of romance were not a stranger to either of them. He reached across and gently clasped her hand under his, his thumb tracing over the back of her hand as he watched her under a gentle gaze, loving and supportive… A soft, down stuffed comforter that would always wrap her in it’s embrace, keep her warm and sheltered for all time. “I believe at some point their paths would have diverged… Before you and I came into this they were struggling, rather than see yourself as the cause, see it as a catalyst. If not you then someone else, either for him or for her, their shared cup had so many holes they both couldn’t deny it anymore…” Sydel had admitted as much in her own way, through little tells and signs, the fact that she felt war was on the horizon… Something horrible coming… And she hadn’t told her husband. He had been the person she had told.

Still there was a lot of emotion bubbling over from the shattered cup that now lay on the ground, the contents of it had spread over everyone, not a single hem or boot sole was free from the substance and that much was true. Rose, Jacob, Diovan and Sydel… He and Gia with Nautilous… The break up was like a sudden tsunami and everyone had been ripped apart by it, some to deeper waters and some to stand amid the ruined shoreline, no one untouched and not a soul was left with anything familiar around them. Even Menzoberranzan was a stranger to them, Gia had been a Matron without her own lands and he had been gone more than half his life, and Nautilous with his family were all strangers to it. Sydel and Diovan were embracing a world new to them both despite it being their original home the way it held them now was likely quite different… Alien…

What everyone needed? Was a chance to settle. Even so? With so many wounds left open the chances for that were small at best. She was right, it needed to be closed up properly, not left half-done and raw. But would they be able to get them together? What could they use as a reason, a purpose for them to all get together in one location, to let things be closed up and closed off for good? He was mulling this over himself and the only thing he could really come up with was a party. Something heavy with drugs so that no one had a chance to really be upset… Everyone set up in separate rooms at first but slowly have the walls dropped so everyone was within eyesight of each other… Let it all come out. It would take a seriously hard hitting cocktail, something to drop all the walls and bring it to light, but something that would keep it from becoming violent or too sad… It was certainly something to talk over at a later date…

Dinner and dessert over they had enjoyed the small walk along the Nile, heading back to their shared suite where the main room had been transported into something like a Harem, beautiful draped silks and linens so fine they were transparent, drugged incense on the air like perfume… Hookah strewn here and there, plenty of heavy alcohol by the sweet smell he sensed, and the man at the center who looked like he was the Egyptian embodiment of Old Man Time. He settled in at the spot that bore his name, the cushion exceptionally soft and seemed to embrace him, causing him to sigh as he lounged exceedingly comfortably in that spot. Rose was moving about, tending the room and helping with the last bits of set up, Jacob however was absent which did not go unnoticed by him. The two were virtually hand and foot when they could be so what had them separated now? A lovers quarrel? Or something else entirely?

Settling in he picked up the hookah and began to puff away at the superbly delicious blend, a mix of heavy hitting surface drugs combined with their own from Menzoberranzan, incredibly tasty as he watched the room and allowed it all to just envelop him… Drag him down into the dark along with the fading light, casting the room into sweet darkness as the gentle oil lamps flickered into light, magic a palpable taste on the air along with seasonings and desire… Aaah… Vicious decadence… Who was the one? “Is it you my sweet little spider? Which one in this room is the one who secretly longs?... I can feel it on the air… Can you?”

[Deleted]

-she nodded as they spoke on a slightly somber note.. something that had a stinging outer shell.. and that at least in her mind had no real positive outcome.. either way someone was going to get hurt..and someone did.. nothing is ever as clean as it appears when its pre planned.. for the knife often has jagged edges and the wound takes that bit longer to heal-.. You are possibly right yes.. its probable that their paths would have diverged at some point any way.. but.. in as much as the position I am in now is desirable.. to myself.. the way in which it happened will always sit wrong with me deep down.. -she nodded.. turning to drink a little more of that bubbled sweet wine.. it would be one of those things that would always come back to her.. just a reminder.. something to make her catch her breath.. to collect herself.. something that would never be truly gone.. time would gloss it.. fog it.. as it would for all parties involved.. but.. like the sudden death of her pale skinned farseer the memory would remain a touch bittersweet....the two of them shared that lovely evening.. the dinner was special.. the date being their first flowed as smoothly as one would have expected.. his nerves seemed to have settled after a little time had passed.. though maybe it was the wine.. they shared a walk along the waters edge.. softly spoken words of shared affection and love were handled and given with the care they deserved..

before they would find themselves back in the Hotel .. the general atmosphere having changed.. the room dressed up with silk and colour..the air thinly veiled with the mist from burning incense.. her garnet gaze fell upon the wide old man that sat comfortably.. before she would glance toward those who were in attendance.. Jacob soon stepping in to join his Rose.. the place cards made sure everyone settled into their respective spots.. she sunk down with her usual grace.. legs curled beside her.. she passed on the hookah that was offered.. a polite wave of her hand as her attention turned to him.. watching as he started to more or less float.. the corners of her lips curled into an amused smile-.. mm.. no my dear heart.. -she chuckled.. reaching across o glide her fingers along the sharpened curve of his jawline before she settled back once more-.. Its highly possible it is you -she nodded-.. it is felt on the air.. thick and heavy.. also quite possible its more than one.. perhaps a couple in attendance..

[BadInfluence]

“Well… That’s a bit hard… Part of it is because I feel like everything did turn around because I have you. YOU are my turn around, the upside to all my sorrows, the reason I have to smile.” She said gently and with a gentle shrug of her shoulders. “But on the other hand I feel like I don’t deserve it… Any of the goodness in my life. I’ve been a bad person… I’ve done really bad things… I can’t even find an excuse to reason away my sins because I committed each one with some semblance of purpose and reason.” Jacob was burdened with no such thing. Just about every single thing he had done? Had been under Graces control. He wasn’t responsible or liable for a single moment of it. She? Had no such excuse. The longer she was away for the surface the more she was learning about what had happened in the year since she’d lost her virginity, how that act had basically signaled to a handful of Gods that she was matured and ready to be made a tool, but since there wasn’t exactly only one buyer the whole thing just devolved into a continual shouting match in her head. Most days it was all she could do just to pretend she had it together in those days.

Talking about Ace though… She was trying but maybe she was just at that point where she was trying too hard. Scrambling, really, she was scrambling to try and make it work… To fix what she thought was broken. She had always been sensitive as a child but it had certainly been refined through life, she could pick up on very subtle nuances which told her if someone was lying or being genuine, if someone was out to hurt her or simply accidentally coming across her path. She was used to being able to read just about anyone in her life so the turn of events in the last bit had really and truly rocked her foundation so bad she was still struggling to find which way was up. “That’s ok really… I wasn’t sure if I should or shouldn’t honestly. At the first it was something you said I should try to see in a more positive light but maybe this is just a ghost we aught set in the closet and forget about…” His discomfort was so obvious she could taste it on her tongue, like moldy cheese it lingered, pungent and sharp… “You’d know more about raising a happy child than I would that goes without saying.” She said with a soft smile. He really was an amazing, if somewhat absentee father to a little boy that wasn’t even his, she was sure he would have no issue what so ever being able to be an amazing father to their own children.

As he spoke about no secrets though she told him about his trip to Silverthorn and while she had somewhat figured he might not be happy about it she hadn’t figured he would actually go the route he did. She paused for a moment… Then two… Then ten… She didn’t interrupt him as he spoke, especially since he very rarely ever said so much in one sitting, and she wasn’t about to interject anything… Partially because she had no idea what to even say. So many retorts were swimming around her head, responses to what he said and none of them settled, just kept darting around like silver fish in murky waters… “I promise I won’t ever search him out ever again.” It was a start… She could promise that she would never go looking for him. “But please… Imagine yourself in his shoes if just a moment. If the tables were flipped wouldn’t you want to know? Regardless of how things came out with the mother?” She said so gently, reaching out for his hand, to link her pinky with his… Afraid any further contact on her part might be refuted and that would sting more than she could bear in the moment. “I think you would have wanted him to know at the root of it but… Maybe I think I know you better than I actually do and I was wrong which is alright too… You can’t learn to get back up if you don’t fall… I said what I thought was right and that’s all I can say at this point… I was wrong and I am sorry Jacob…” What more could she say? Nothing that mattered, not really, there was a strange difference between what felt good to say and what was actually right… And in the end? What felt good to say often ended up incredibly sour on your tongue when the realization hits you that it was all bitter and emotionally driven in the end.

“The army will suit you better than a thinner…” She wasn’t going to call it anything else because she could only imagine how it had begun to rot him inside to be killing so many. At least calling it what she did made it sound less… Heavy… Than it was in reality. It might not be the best but it was better than calling him a culler. “There are no need for guards though, I am surrounded by them constantly since I primarily serve the Matrons, I am never alone in Menzoberranzan.” It was why it had happened here, on the surface, where there were no guards to keep an ever present vigilance over her. His words on asking her not to stress… She knew… She was doing her best to break it down, keep it at bay, and at worst at least down to bite size portions. She did need to go through this though, it all had to be laid out on the table, come out in the light and be measured for what it was. If she had tried to keep it inside it would have just been an acid drip on a sandstone foundation, she’d have crumbled far too fast, entirely too easy. She closed what remained of the distance between them when he gently rubbed his hands up and down her arms, resting her forehead over his chest as she let a breath out, she seriously wondered if she was just born under some sort of freakily unlucky star because she had the most acute ability of jinxing herself like some sort of malicious genie. The more he spoke though the more she hurt in a different sort of way… Had she really made him feel in some way as though she would leave? She had gone down to tell Ace rather than let him keep pinging her with letters like a child in a classroom but not because she was tempted… Ace had tried, oh she could tell in the way he touched her, even with the vicious nasty words he threw at her that he wanted her… If she would have bent when he first pressed he would have taken her in splinter like a common whore with her dress up around her waist.

What had happened? Was she pushed back. She didn’t bend, she didn’t buckle or fold, fall down like a house of cards. That much had told her what she needed to know about herself. Yes, she desired him, but no where near enough to ever give him any measure of power to hurt her… To make her willing to give up the blessing she had. Jacob was her first love, everything to her, and introducing Ace… It should have just been a fling, a bit of fun, she should have stopped it but she didn’t… No one had… And while she wouldn’t say she didn’t enjoy it, she could say it was no where near good enough to make her hurt Jacob, nothing in any realm along any alternate universe was ever going to be enough to make her hurt him. “You’re right… If I wanted to leave you Jacob I would have done it by now. It’s not as though life has made it easy for us to be together and if I wasn’t sure of my love for you I’d have given up a hundred times by now just because it would be so much easier…” It had been such a hard up-hill battle, they’d been torn apart and torn down by so many people, people they’d known and had once called co-workers… Even friends and lovers… People intent on wedging themselves between them. “When Ric poisoned me or when Grace came into the picture… When the truth about Cara came out or when I continually had my morals questioned and my worth belittled because of it all. I never left though.”

Looking up at him she caught his jaw in her hands and brought him down just a little bit so that they were closer, more of a height though thankfully it was no where near as big of a dip for him as it used to be, just a bit of a bend on his part and little more. “What we have is more than special Jacob… It’s more than rare. What we have is even more than a once-in-a-trillion years sort of thing… What we have doesn’t have a definition, there’s no way to describe it or explain it, we’re so much more than that… You can’t put words to it because there’s just too much.” Their love was deeper and wider than any ocean, more than all the stars and their planets, more than all the suns and moons and nebulas… You could never put a word to their love because it was always growing and changing, evolving and multiplying, never the same twice… “I don’t want to leave because I Love You… It’s as complex and simple as that, there’s no one I want to be with more than you, no matter what circumstances come into our life so long as I am able to say that I love you? It’s enough…”

The idea of the revere had been her desperate attempt in a state of panic to try and show him things that might explain something that… Now? She knew needed to explaining… He was right. Ace had dug his dirty talons into the weak spots of her shell that he knew she had, sunk them in deep and ripped at the soft flesh beneath, made her think all manner of things really but now? She knew that it had been just sheer anxiety driven… “Maybe someday but not now… Coming back from Ace had me so shaken up on the inside that I was panicked… Afraid that if I didn’t show you things that you’d not understand and just walk out when it got tiring… I guess… Now that I’ve calmed down you could say that I know better.” And God Damn Ace to Hell for making her think anything else. Where did that vile beast get off thinking he had any right what so ever to plant those seeds of doubt? It was more than a little cruel and undeserving… But then again people do a lot of really cruel shit when they’re hurting. They’d both stood up from the bed, perhaps a good deal lighter on both parts for it coming to a head, or so she hoped… She feared that she might have left a little more weight on him than she first thought might have occurred. At least this time he smiled and it was warm and genuine and she returned it with her heart on her lips, her hands linked behind him as they spoke in softer, happier terms. “The only way anyone would think I was any measure of a dragons bane would perhaps by my ability to overthink a situation into sheer chaos…” She teased lightly before he’d kiss her forehead and they’d move to part. “Hey…” She said gently as she came to the door, pausing beside it as her brow furrowed a little, thoughts heavy on her mind. “I just wanted you to know… In case you ever doubted it… You’re more than enough Jacob…” She said as she looked at him with love shining from her eyes in a gentle warmth before she’d turn and leave to help with the room settings…

(some time passing)

When all was said and done everyone was coming back just in time, Gia and Thaylan looking like royalty in such beautiful garb, Jacob finishing up as well and smiling at her before he settled into his own seating area. He had his own hookah with a special blend, something she’d asked for personally because she had went and ruined his buzz like a total jerkbag. She returned his smile and they’d all begin to settle into their respective places then, Nautilous at the farthest end, then Gia beside him and Thaylan beside her… Jacob and then herself at the other end of the small semi-circle around the creative figure who had more or less appeared in the room versus walked in like a normal person… Magic seemed to vibrate around him like glitter on the air but it wasn’t something she could place, it was more like a feel than something you could see, but nothing tangible… More like a cold spot in the air without any real source… She settled in beside Jacob and passed on the hookah but did partake of a bit of the ganga, smoking a rather elegant looking pipe as she leaned on his side just a little, only enough to be comfortable but not pressing. The light was fading fast before it seemed to just snuff out without a word, the lamps coming into light with their sweetly perfumed oil, her head beginning to get foggy from it all… The drugs were warm and safe, nothing too heavy hitting but just enough to make the entire thing seem ethereal, magical in a way that only the surface can provide… When the witching hour struck was when the man began to speak, his voice low and with a rich timber, the sort that resonated in your mind like the note from a guitar…

It was enchanting, for as the man spoke he also smoked a pipe and from every word, every syllable came a bit more smoke… And in that cloud that began to form as heavy as vapor there spun images in the cloud, sparks of color on the grey background, the words becoming images on the scene… Her heart caught, sputtered and stalled at times, this was like a fairy tale of a different sort… Characters acted out on a paper screen, backlit by candles and moonlight… Every passing moment the drugs wove a little deeper, the magic a little thicker, until the whole room began to swirl with it… Transporting the listener into the very scenes, as if they were in the middle of it as it all happened, able to watch but not interact… Part of it was in their mind and part of it was the magic of the room around them as each and every person there was dipped into a place that exists only in the vivid imaginations of children…

[BadInfluence]

“Well… Perhaps think of it this way… The fruit that falls from the tree suffers as it rots but if it does not go through the pain it never becomes a tree. Those who bloom in adversity are the most stunning my sweet sister, this has all started from a fair bit of rot and pain but in the end, I am sure our tree will be the most beautiful of all.” But he knew it would take her quite some time before the bitterness perhaps passed into something more palatable. It would likely take something very good happening to Sydel, like the family she so desired to come to fruition, a possible marriage to the love of her youth… Things of that nature which could trickle into being if the currents were right… But until then? He would do his best to sweeten the bitter tang of it as best he could.

The evening was sweet all the same and he felt much more himself after the awkwardness had passed, he had certainly felt out of his skin in the beginning, a bit pinched and terribly uncomfortable. The sudden realization that he was to become her Patron in a matter of days had settled upon him like a rash and he hadn’t felt entirely capable for the first time since he was an untried youth, especially given there was such a small… Ok… Non-existent group of Patrons who were worth modeling after. Plus he brought no finances or slaves with him, everything he had was what she had given him, outside of the gifts and such he had stored up on his travels. Valkryn had been a useless bit of smegma but at least he had come with gold and slaves in abundance. Still, if she was willing to look past that and take him for what he was, sans any dowry he was happy. Just knowing that alone had gone far to settle him and it certainly did not hurt him to know that he inherently had the talents needed to be a perfect Patron. Between him and Nautilous they seemed to have it set and Gia was in a position to rule all of Menzoberranzan if she so wished it…

Once back at the hotel and settled into their respective spots he fully embraced the promised high of the environment and curled into his cushion like a dark skinned Prince, easily sensing desire and lust on the air, perfectly palatable and almost visible… But from who? He had leaned over, hookah stem in hand and teased Gia a bit, asking it if was her who was so lustful, more than a little eager after the dinner they had shared to put that excess energy into something terrifically enjoyable… But her response had him chuckling quietly under his breath as he looked up to her under heavy hooded eyes, desire indeed dancing like the skittering of a thousand red backed spiders in his ruby gaze, lips curled into a very roguish grin. “Oh it is certainly me…Or I am at least a part of it… I can see your sweet nipples through the fine golden and emerald gauze of the dress and it’s all so terrifically erotic. Normally your clothes hide everything so well with the hint of nudity but this… Its as soft as a spiders web and so sheer… If you weren’t so stunningly beautiful I might have struggled to keep my eyes above your neckline my sweet…”








Seeing Rose pop out of the room with her face more than a little puffy from crying his first reaction was concern, reaching out a hand to pull her into his side a bit, asking her what was wrong or what had happened. It all came out in bits and pieces, condensed for him and perhaps a bit more filtered than had really happened, though in the end he got a good enough picture to figure it out. Kids… When your young the world is so rapid and rushes you along like a white water current, you get lost and turned up side down, is so easy to panic instead of enjoying the exhilarating ride. Rose had most certainly got stuck in a rough patch of rapids but he did his best to help calm the last bit of angst from her. If Ace tried to come sniffing around like a dog at a fence he’d just leash him and put him back in his own yard. Ace had bigger things to worry about than a baby mama who he had ditched like last weeks tuna salad. The mans right to action or opinion had been given up the moment he wrote those letters, no matter how good his intentions were at the time, you don’t get to double back and claim foul. Ace had made his bed and now he had to sleep in it, just as he himself had to sleep in the bed he had made when he broke things off with Sydel, everyones recent break ups were messy and fucked up but that was just how it was, there was nothing else to do but to go with the current and not whine like a little bitch about it.

This little girl had done her best and for her age? That was a pretty damned brave and grown up thing to do but like Jacob, he felt she should have at least left a note or told someone, and like Jacob he seriously doubted for two seconds that Ace wouldn’t have kidnapped her if it suited his purposes and mood. Even so he wasn’t about to say any of that and instead just reassured her that it was going to be ok and put her to work helping him set everything up since magic was no longer on the table for him it certainly helped to have someone who could… Even if this someone’s magical skills were far smaller than her power pool. Someone needed to train this girl! All the same though they got through it and with a bit of fun too, plenty of horribly cheesy jokes and stories shared to lighten the mood so that by the time everyone had come back the air was so much lighter, funnier and full of promise as the hours spread into night.

Settling in besides Gia and Thaylan he lounged in little more than a linen skirt, looking every inch the whore of his youth in some ways, obviously he was terrifically accustomed to things like this… Hard long muscles at perfect ease, a panther relaxing in a tree over the river, calm and at rest but lethal if provoked… Ready to snap at a moment which made it all that much more exotic… The eye patch was gone too and he looked ahead, one eye the most startling shade of pale lavender and ice, the other that sky blue with the limbal ring of navy and the core flecks of snow… Given the fact that his skin was much darker now it made them stand out all the more so that he went from being casually exotic to damn near god like and for a moment then Gia could have seen the draw he had in his youth… This sublime creature lounging about with the mortals as though he had nothing better to do… Simply passing the time till something interesting happened..

“It’s definitely you Thaylan but I’m not exactly immune… These gatherings are rare and treated with a sort of religious reverence… Hence the drugs and alcohol… It would make an old man randier than a teenager with a slutty girlfriend.” Things like this were often seen at the pleasure houses after all, a bit like dinner theatre these events were the show before the food arrived, the thing to keep people entertained while the whores worked their way to the next client. It was always going to be sexually laced in case a client got a little too bored on the wait, can’t lose business after all, that was just… Well… Bad business. “This originated in the palace Harems where the sultan’s concubines lived, these ancient story tellers hired to come in with the eunuchs to entertain the women who weren’t in the royal chamber that night, and while these men told their stories the women were kept in a constant state of arousal in case they were needed. It’s why you feel the way you do now… You could say it’s a part of the tapestry of it all, a bright streak of red passion that is woven through the many hues of the stories that will be told, something never changing and yet never the same twice…”

Once everyone was in and settled the story began and he was currious as to which one would be played tonight, he knew almost all of them by heart, having heard so very many as a child in training that he couldn’t imagine there was one that he missed. Given the gathering and the fact everyone was coupled up he was betting on something romantic and adventure packed, to get the heart beating and the imagination moving, fueling passions and romance. The story tonight though? Was indeed a new one and it showed in the shock on his face for a moment, a raised brow, a certain light in his eyes before it all settled once more.

The story was of a small village in a land where it never stopped snowing, a place that relied on the fire and rage of dragons to melt the snow so they could plant crops to survive, but there was a cost to this dragons aid… Every year a maiden of exceptional beauty and breeding had to be put out on a boat, decked out in all the finery of a bride, the boat laden with gifts of gold and jewels… And this maiden had to sing a special song which the dragon would hear, summoned down from its hidden lair it would fly down on wings that sounded like the cries of weeping women, swooping up to gather both the maiden and the boat in it’s terrifying claws…

One year though the maiden chosen to be sacrificed was the Kings only daughter and the King, struck by incredible grief, wept bitter tears for days and nights until he became terribly ill… To save his life they hatched a plan of the bravest warriors to come to the city and slay the dragon before the maiden was devoured, laying in wait with bow and spear, fire and poison to lay the dragon low…

[Deleted]

We have all done bad things Rose, each and every one of us.. it is something we cant readily measure against each other though.. for what you yourself might feel is absolutely horrific.. someone like ..Nautilous for example might find it childs play.. The only thing we can do though is to look ahead.. and thats what I want you to do.. start looking ahead.. not so much behind you.. -he exhaled softly- Dont stumble over something thats behind you.. -He had his fair share of problems in his past.. and whilst a great deal of those were whilst under the control of someone else.. there was still patches where he made the mistakes.. where he hurt people.. he was far from perfect.. and so many had put him up so high on a pedestal that at times it made him a little uncomfortable.. he never felt better than anyone else.. he was just lucky.. she brought up Ace.. and it sunk him a little.. he really didn't want to keep dragging this up.. over and over.. it was like reopening a wound that was starting to heal.. he made sure.. or at least he attempted to make her understand that he had no desire to speak about Aeson.. or to bring him back into their lives anytime soon.. it was done.. it was over.. it was complete.. he wanted there to be no secrets between them.. no more.. and she told him of her journey.. alone.. and the dangers of seeking our Ace to tell him about this possible child.. he put his foot down.. it would be one thing he would not budge on.. he didn't take a firm grasp like that very often.. but when it came to this it was obvious he was not impressed..-.. Rose you dont even know for certain that it is his..so yes I can say without equivocation that I would not have wanted to know unless it was concrete.. unless there was No doubt.. unless you Wanted him in that childs life.. otherwise why would you put someone through that kind of torture?.. You cant have that answer yet.. its not possible.. -he dipped his head back..-. and you have opened yourself up to a royal house.. I wouldn't have told him.. im sorry.. but I would have just told my partner and thats it.. but especially.. Especially.. I would have told my partner first.. -it stung that she went to Ace before she came to him.. could it of not waited?.. was there a sudden and emergence need for Ace to know Now?..

it was confusing and it was beginning to weigh on him.. the fact the child was his.. didn't even register.. it was not important.. he had looked after a child that wasn't his for years.. and even when he found out the truth it didn't matter.. he loved children.. he loved the idea of a family.. it wouldn't have mattered if they had to adopt.. but now things were complicated.. he wouldn't shut her out though.. hiccups like this would happen.. and were bound to.. they were still in essence getting to know one another and the events with Ace were a big bubble that popped in the middle.. the topic changed to his new possible position.. -.. Im hoping that Gia will say yes.. -he nodded -.. It seems like it would be a better fit.. something more hands on.. where I feel I could possibly be more useful.. without .. well.. stinging my own personal morals.. I imagine we would have more time.. too.. as if I am indeed with Nautilous.. and with his attachment to the Matron herself.. it would bring us closer at times.. at least a lot more than we have had up until now.. -it would settle his heart to know she was doing ok.. and to actually be able to see it.. he had been kept down in the lower levels thinning out the herd for so many consecutive days that even when he had a spare moment it was used to rest his weary mind..they spoke on reverie.. and her request on him entering one of hers.. possibly sometime in the future.. before he did his best to sate her insecurities.. the idea that he was going to leave her.. he offered a smile.. a little nod of his head.. -.. Life is not meant to be easy love.. if it were we would be so bored of it already.. but.. you will do me a favour.. we wont be speaking of Ric or Grace.. or anything thats befouled us in the past.. we have an opportunity here to do so much.. to step forward and claim our own futures without being tethered.. Please.. no more.. okay?.. we can both agree to not bring it up.. its done.. its over.. we have each other.. we have a family on the way.. we have a home away from home.. what more do we need?..

-he leant into her hand when she reached for him.. drawing them both in a little bit closer .. any and all stress.. bristled nerves.. anxiety just floated away.. this is all they needed.. each other.. he pressed his lips to her forehead.. before allowing her to leave.. he had a letter to reply to.. some words to a certain elder brother .. concerns for his Mother and so on.. it was sent off and away before he would make his way out into the main area.. everyone having arrived by this stage.. the room was filled with that lush incense.. the smoke from hookahs..he settled down into his nominated place.. taking the pipe from her with a gracious smile as he semi reclined. finding the cushions incredibly comfortable.. the feeling of the magic in the air.. it didn't take long at all for that sweet buzz to float it was back into his mind.. and he relaxed.. his free hand resting there upon her thigh as the story teller began to spin his tale.. colours and spectacular imagery.. it was a beautiful story of dragons and princesses.. captivating.. he adored it.. loved it and such would have been easily read there upon his face.. -

[Deleted]

Bless him, he always just knew what to say to settle her stinging heart and nerves.. the guilt was something she wasn't readily able to shake.. it was stuck to her like an oversized coat..perhaps in time it would settle as he had suggested.. she certainly hoped so.. the two of them were really quite a pair.. if she knew of his worries when it came to no dowry of any kind she would have settled them immediately.. he was her perfect Patron.. the one she dreamed of from such a young age.. something she never thought would come to fruition.. and yet here they were.. together.. with no one to come between them.. and to add to that they were on the surface.. that was literally nothing more than a pipe dream.. a fantasy.. she swore she needed to be pinched to make sure she wasn't dreaming.. they settled down in that beautifully dressed room.. the air heavy with magic and the sweet scents coming from hookahs and incense.. her movements were as usual.. completely graceful as she settled down to sit there upon the cushion.. her legs drawn up beside her as befitting her station.. she graciously denied the treats that were being passed around.. the pipes and cigarettes..

it had been an incredibly long time since she had indulged in anything remotely mind altering.. preferring to instead err on the side of caution.. her dear brothers lustful gaze made her smile.. she enjoyed watching him let loose.. to just relax fully.. to succumb to his desires.. his needs.. his wants.. that roguish grin made her laugh .. he was utterly precious.. his remark about being able to see her nipples through her dress caused her to respond by reaching across.. her warm soft fingers curled around his inner thigh.. sliding gradually higher toward the apex as she leant in..- I chose it.. just for you.. -whispered words as her nails gripped his upper inner thigh a little tighter.. her lips.. that beautifully ruby stained flesh was an inch maybe a little less from his.. he'd be able to taste that sweet wine from earlier on her breath due to her proximity..lingering.. -.. Ahh.. storytime.. -she released.. drawing back to sit as her hands fell back to her lap.. her attention shifted toward the images being conjured.. the play with colours and light.. the smokey flickers.. dragons and princesses.. kings with tears and upset.. she was enchanted by it.. enthralled.. why her eyes just lit up at the scenes being unveiled ..such rare talent something she had not seen before-

[BadInfluence]

“I promise I’ll do my best to do just that every day…” It was going to take baby steps… Lots of baby steps, probably some stumbles too, if not flat out crashing. She had always had a tendency to look back, to overanalyze and dissect, to sometimes obsess or worry about something that had happened to the point that it become so pressing she couldn’t let go even in the present. It was a benefit and a curse in many ways, sort of like an endemic memory, she’d never forget the good things but… That meant the bad lingered on just as much too… It got especially bothersome when something happened that she felt strongly about, like what had happened to Maria or the event with Ace, the fight with the girls while attending medical school… She remembered every bit and often wandered down paths in her mind as she tried to sort out what could have happened if such and so had occurred differently. He was right though… She’d had a whole lot of truths slapped in her face in a pretty short amount of time and each smack of fact was starting to hurt more than the one before it.

Ace had been brought up and in many ways she was confused… At first he had been more understanding and supportive, telling her she should process and talk about it, to see the good in it but now he had turned the leaf… It was like going from spring to winter and skipping everything in the middle and it really left her without any footing to stand on. What she did know was that she needed to tread very, very carefully right now, it seemed in a lot of ways that he was on his last foot and it killed her inside… When had he gotten so low? And how had she not noticed it? How was she supposed to keep things true between them, honest and open if everything she did seemed to hurt him in some measure or form? She didn’t want to hurt him, she didn’t want to hurt anyone, but it was like she was covered in shards of glass and rusted metal… She couldn’t touch someone without inflicting harm. When had she gotten so bad? Where had she deviated from her center to such a place? Her name might be Rose but that didn’t mean she had to be nothing but thorns did it? Yet it seemed that was all she was. She bit her lip hard when he spoke about having guards on her at all times, how it was foolish to have gone alone, and at the end of it all? How she wished she would have told him first… “I was afraid to tell you.” A small, simple admission, slicing her tongue like rock salt as it came out. “This was my fault, IS my fault, I’m the one who let it get to this point…” She’d been an idiot… Caught up in the moment, in the heat of passion and fetishes, sweet bondage and dark desires… She’d been completely swept up in the pleasure and because of that? She’d gotten pregnant like a stupid little fool… And imagine about two years ago she had been judging Kit and her repeated abortions… Pot calling kettle at this point wasn’t it.

“At the end I can’t undo what I did. Just repent and take the lashes for it.” This cross was hers to bear and she’d just have to buck up. They switched topics to something maybe a bit less tender, a chance for a change in position, something to suit him more than the current role he had been put into when he came down with her. “I can ask for it as well… I’m very close to her due to my position and if both Nautilous and I ask I doubt very much she would deny it. Besides, your talent is being squandered, it was never meant for that and from what I have learned of Gia? Is she has a very deep, profound respect for peoples gifts, she doesn’t think anyone should be forced…” Outside of slaves and while Jacob might be a male he was no slave. Not to anyone… “I miss you a lot when you’re gone… But even with that we see each other more now than we used to… And if you get on with Nautilous we’ll be able to see each other every day and night much as he does with the Matron herself.” And that would be the first time they got to be around each other so much since she was first his student… How funny that those days felt as if they were years and years ago, while at others it seemed only last week, time played so funny with memories like that.

Revere was brought up on her part, Ace had rocked her so bad she was trembling on the inside, like the path before her was suddenly a maze as big as the world and she had no idea how to proceed… It all seemed like nothing but blocked paths and dead ends. She decided against the revere though, seeing it as Ace having gotten under her skin, realizing that while they decided to not keep secrets from one another? That didn’t mean she had to bear all either. Like he had said, everyone had skeletons in their closet that were never meant to be shared… “I’m sorry… I really am so… So sorry.” She was supposed to be making his life better as they shared it, bring light and laughter to it, make him smile… But lately it seemed all she did was complicate it… Drag him from one mess to the other. How could she rectify it? She couldn’t undo what she had done but she could try to take steps in the future to keep from repeating these mistakes. So one way for sure? No more Ace. Ever. Done and dusted, burry the horse, light that bridge up with kerosene. What else though? There had to be more than just excluding a certain person from their lives and conversations.

“Lemon and Lavender cakes on demand sounds like something we might need?” She said suddenly as it popped into her head. That was something she could do, something she used to do often before life pretty much knocked her into left field, she had that little comedic streak… Tongue in cheek humor and at times quite dry, he’d always laughed and that was something she’d stopped doing, letting herself get caught up in all the sudden drama that comes when you actually live life. Fact? She was just really poorly prepared for life in general. She’d lived in her little bubble and once it popped she hadn’t handled a bit of it with much grace. In the end? She was coming to realize pretty quick that she’d been one massive carriage crash for a little while now and it was a miracle anyone had hung onto her through it. Jacobs love for her really was amazing in it’s seemingly fathomless depths because anyone else? Would have done just what Ace did… Cut ties and ran before they went down with the ship. What sucked? Is that she was only realizing this NOW. She was incredibly book smart but when it came to living life? She was dumber than a cow pie packed brick. Half as useful too it would seem… “Course a do-over button would be nice too but you don’t live if you don’t learn and vice versa yeah?” She said gently before they’d come in close and just hold each other, a lot of that sharp jaggedness softened like ice in the sun, giving her… Them… A little bit of a break…

Once they were parted, he to his letters and she to help with the decorations, she spent that time in deep reflection while her hands were busy. One thing she realized? She had no garden. She’d always sorted her problems in a garden, growing things and tending to them had always been the way she managed her anxiety and stress, it had always grounded her. She hadn’t had any of those since the greenhouse back at the school she had started in. Perhaps that vital link being absent was partially to blame for the chaos? After all she had noticed her tattoo was gone as well, something that had been a part of her the entirety of her life was now absent, something was most assuredly at work and she was going to start to look into it… Hence the deep conversations she had with Nautilous as well and through him she did find herself in the possession of answers she would not have found on her own. Things fell into place and made sense, things that made her incredibly angry at times, others saddened… She felt cheated in some ways and blessed in others but at the end she felt like she hadn’t really gained or lost anything… More like she barely broke even at the tables… But all the same? Answers she did have and she would need to talk to a few people to… Sort things out. When and how? Well now that? That was going to be tricky but she’d figure it out at some point…

Jacob had come to settle into his seat and while the story wove in and out? While he had eyes for the scene? She only had eyes for him. She would guide his head to her lap so he could rest stretched out, hookah pipe easily held and ready for him, drinks she would give him as he began to get that decadent little high back… Thank God… She sighed gently and smiled, her fingers running through his hair as the story unfolded before them, getting a little deeper… Darker… For as the King had gathered together Princes and Knights to bring back the Princess? The Dragons Island was covered in a thick, impenetrable fog, leaving many a brave man to die upon the turbulent waters and sharp stony crags jutting from the sea floor to gut many and more a ship’s hull. Again and again men went out and never returned, the only signs that they had ever left at all were the occasional bit of shipwreck washing up on the fjords… And all the while the King wept and wept, such sad, bitter tears as he feared by this time that his daughter? Had long been consumed by the ravenous beast and that never again would he see his little girl…

Weeks turned to months and soon into years… Decades… The people began to forget the story of the Maidens and the Dragons, the sacrifices made so that they crops grew, time and the evolution of Man had slowly eroded all the magic from the land… Resigning facts to the land of fables and fairy tales until… One day… A young maiden out on the lake who was fishing began to hum the old song, forbidden among the people as it was said to bring bad luck, a curse upon the land but the maiden found the song far too enchanting to believe such things… And then… Out of the clear blue sky came a darkening shape… A hawk? An eagle? But as the shadow grew it became apparent that some tales? Are mired in truth…

Down swooped the dragon with the young woman in it’s clutches, carried off into the sky like a mighty owl on silent wings… The prey still, as if dead and limp in such might claws… When the maiden awoke? She found herself on an island, the body of the largest, mightiest dragon having formed it’s entire mass and the skull? A cave in which water fell like a silvery tear from what must have been a terribly large eye in life… And beside her on this island? Was a man who was not much older than her, fair skinned and dark hair with eyes the most currious shade of gold, watching her as if he feared her… Her first movement, however slight, sent him moving back…

Question after question she asked him. Are you from here? Is this your home? Were you captured by the dragon as well?

Yet all she got was silence as the man retreated and disappeared into the cave. Search all she did she could not find him and at the end of the day resigned herself to sleep on a bed of moss amid the strangely warm stones…

All the while as the story was being told the colorful smoke eddied and swirled, the paper puppets moving on the back lit screen, somehow as solid and tangible as if one could touch them and yet they were nothing more than smoke… Magic… Ancient and unique to the surface and this old man might very well be the last one capable of such things… A relic of a world long lost, much as the story itself, winding about the lives of those in the very room… Each person seeing a slightly different aspect of it, the colors a little different, the darks a touch deeper… The dragon sharper for some, more blurred for others, the details of the king made him either in his prime or an old man… For as the story was woven much as a tapestry is, every person adds their own twist to it, their own unique flavor… Which meant that the story, while all heard the same words, was played out in the smoke in a way that suited each persons style of fantasy. A gentle, subtle crafting of unparallel uniqueness, never to be the same twice…

[BadInfluence]

She always thought so highly of him, as if he were a rainbow to her but he simply saw himself as water, unaware of the image he cast. He was content in her shadow, he always had been and always would be, he saw no reason to be anything other than what he was… Till the idea that perhaps he might not be enough. They were perfectly matched in every single way, they always had been because they grew up together, close as only twins can be… He knew her heart, her moods and her mind, he knew when she hurt long before she’d ever even voice it… But with their marriage looming so close, that forbidden dream about to become a reality, he found himself having an odd stroke of nerves… A bit of panic… Even a dash of self doubt. He’d never seen her with someone worthy of her which was true, and while he knew her better than she knew herself in so many ways, he was still unsure if he had what it took. He had been gone from home for so very long… He was settling in, remembering smoothly true enough, but he had left before the final part of training… Before he was broken… Did that make him unfit to be a Patron? But in her eyes? In her words and the way she behaved? She seemed to actually like the fact he had never been fully broken, that he still had his own mind, his own will… The difference being that he bent his to hers versus automatically took everything she said and did as Gospel.



Settling into that drug laden room he let himself be swept away, to relax into it all as before too long now he’d be cutting himself off entirely from any such things, he’d want to be ever vigilant for her and their family. There would be no time to let his guard down for the moment he did? He feared the worst might come to pass. He had seen it happen before as a youth and he wasn’t about to allow something like that to happen them. He’d leaned over to her and teased her a bit about the grown, that devilish grin of his on display, a bit of his hair falling into his eyes as she gripped his thigh. Oh she knew what she was doing and he loved her for it, the way she used to bait him at the table as teenagers, the tongue in cheek dits that would have him harder than the cave walls… It was no different now than it had been as youths. He was still suddenly, achingly rock hard under those robes, a flash of sweet anguish flashing in his eyes as he looked into her beautiful garnet hued circlets… A strangled groan as he let his eyes drop to rake over those sweet succulent mounts of flesh and their delicately ash hued pink nipples. He was more than a little tempted to just lure her away to the room to take her up on that offer from earlier but he held back for now…



Instead he leaned back a bit and caught the eye of Nautilous, the two of them locking gazes as a silent communication was had, a bit of telepathy as the conversation was certainly not meant to be heard by anyones ears…



Thay: Shame you missed her tormenting me just now sweet one.



Naut: Hmm? Tormenting you? How so?



Thay: Her dress is practically transparent and I’ve been seeing her nipples the entire night and I’m nearly crawling out of my skin…



Naut: -A rich mental chuckle akin to a vibration was shared- Poor baby, what ever shall we do about it?



Thay: Well that is what I wanted to feel you out about.



Naut: If you think I’ll let you peg me again you’re going to have to wait a few days. I still can’t sit quite right.



Thay: Ah don’t be so petulant, you came more than a few times from what I felt, are you really complaining?



Naut: Yes, yes I am. Orgasms or not your hung like a fucking elephant and you were my first man in decades and you didn’t even try to warm me up you brute.



Thay: Aww, poor little Shield Master. I’ll warm you up next time but that aside? I’m thinking about something else.



Naut: Oh? Do tell?



Thay: After this wonderful little show you put on is over I think we should-



(I’m not giving you any hints! -evil grin-)

[Deleted]

his brows furrowed when she said she had been afraid to tell him.. since when?.. - Well then I have done something wrong.. to cause that fear.. why would you be afraid to tell me something like that?.. we are a partnership.. a couple.. we dont keep secrets from one another sweetheart.. or issues begin to crop up.. cracks begin to form.. -hell he had seen enough of it with Everyone else around him.. especially Nautilous and Sydel.. he shook his head and exhaled softly-.. its no ones fault.. no one person can take blame for something like this.. and realistically.. it shouldn't even be seen that way.. a child.. children are a blessing.. what happened was something we all did.. together.. at a time when it just fit.. at a time when we were wandering down a different path to the one we are on now.. please dont think this is all on your.. or that its your fault.. its not.. i assure you.. -he didn't want that sitting with her.. it was unfair.. even if he was mildly irritated that she had gone to Aeson without talking to him.. he'd never ever allow her to shoulder blame for something like that.. - It is what it is my dear.. and we will walk forward from it.. and take it as it comes.. as with everything life throws at us.. sometimes its simple and easy.. other times it takes a bit more thinking a bit more.. grit and elbow grease so to speak.. but we will make it through this.. I have faith.. just another hurdle to overcome.. -the spoke about the possible position change.. and how he would be working with Nautilous instead which meant they would be closer more often.. and it would most probably play a little better on his psyche.. - Ill certainly keep my fingers crossed that the Matron is agreeable to it.. hopefully when we head back everything will be a little different..

-he was not relishing the idea of going back to where he was.. he would if he had to.. but he didn't much care for the idea what so ever.. the remark about lemon and lavender cakes made him smile.. -.. might struggle getting those kinds of ingredients in the underdark.. probably something we will need to source and bring down with us mm?.. -he chuckled a little and nodded.. -.. Its always about learning something new.. sometimes its an easy lesson.. like.. dont touch the hot thing.. and other times its something so much harder.. like.. dont break someones heart.. but from every thing.. every single day we can learn something.. it wont ever stop.. till the day we draw that last breath.. forever learning.. -a soft embrace occurred.. they rested in each others arms for a short time.. numbing some perhaps jagged edges.. before they would part.. he would write his letters to his Father.. and then rejoin the group that was slowly growing.. he had settled down upon the cushioned seats.. it was incredibly comfortable.. and the drugs upon the air just made him feel as though he were floating.. his head was easily guided to her lap as he stretched out.. fingers curling around that thin pipe as smoke curled out of the corner of his lips.. the images that floated around them were utterly magical.. fascinating.. he was captivated.. every so often he would catch her gaze as she looked to him instead of the story being played out for them all.. they would be ok.. he knew it deep down.. he just hoped she would one day recognise that it wasn't ever going to be all roses and candy.. that there would always be speed bumps and pot holes.. and that it was ok.. but he also recognised that she really didn't have a lot to go on.. him being her first.. -

[BadInfluence]

“I wouldn’t say it as if you have done something wrong…” She said quietly. “We have always shared everything between us, the good and the bad, nothing has been hidden.” But still… She was afraid of telling him. Not because of anything he had said or done, rather more so because of what he had gone through with his dead wife, the fact Cara had lied to him about the pregnancy and worse still that he knew it… Knew it had all been a lie but he had been a father figure none the less. She was afraid to tell him because the last thing she wanted was to be seen as another Cara… She felt like it was always this chart between herself, Cara and Grace, like she had to measure this way and that lest she be found having common denominators with them. Who had put that thought in her head? Herself primarily but others had said things in casual, off hand manners that had stuck to her all the same, coated in some nasty viscus glue that adhered to her bones it seemed. “I’ve just found others have often measured me against Cara and Grace to see where I fall and it’s made me feel very unsettled at times.” The newspapers back in the college town had loooooved to rake it all over the pages, nothing was hotter than a love triangle, little miss no one from nothing and the esteemed collegium teacher and well respected doctor… It was so obvious who the crowd favored for the romance of the most eligible bachelor. That? Was actually WORSE than what she had gone through with Ace too believe it or not, because at least at that time her maternity had been sorted and it was enough to stand her with the others, not above but at least on par… But with Jacob? She had no such backing so she was proper fucked and it just scratched away at her mind like a nasty old fingernail. “I know we will… We’ll make it through this and much rougher waters in the future too I have absolutely no doubt… But I suppose a part of me is still a little girl, dreaming over her romance novels about happily ever afters with sunshine and rainbows abounding, but if that were reality… We’d not have books about it I suppose.” It was that old saying, you can’t have your cake and eat it too, you had to pick and she? She’d pick her love with him over some fake claptrap romance any day… She’d just have to slap on her rubbers and go wading through the shit. “You can’t grow flowers without a bit of shit after all.” She said rather bluntly but with a good dose of that old dry humor that used to be one of her crowning glories.

“I think it will be settled by tonight if your father has any say in it. The man is like a force of nature, he’s never been one to dally about a decision, if he wants something? He gets it.” It was something they’d all come to find out through those books she had brought with her. He had been single minded to the point of terrifying when it came to a goal and that had been present even as a child. This? Was not going to be any different. He spoke on all the things they had coming for them, all the good and how could they want for anything else, her retort about lemon and lavender cakes got the smile that she was hoping to see grace his features. “We definitely do since your son is incredibly fond of them. I’ve had a craving for them for over a week now.” Which was incredibly painful if you didn’t actually have them on hand. There had been a few times through the day that her jaw literally hurt and she was nearly drooling from want of one but there was nothing to be had. “I guess this learning path is where we were meant to be since we’re both incredibly studious. Just… Promise me you wont let what was said become a reality ok? Don’t let me break your heart it’s the most precious thing in the world to me and I wouldn’t survive if I did such a horrible thing…” She didn’t want to break his heart ever but Ace was there in the back of her mind like a few notes to a song that won’t leave your head till you’ve listened to the whole melody and gotten it out of your system.

They parted for a short while before they’d meet up again and while he watched the show and slipped back down into a drunken haze she watched him, the magic of the scene was lost on her, she had all the magic… All that was good and beautiful to see right there in her lap, her fingers stroking through that thick, crisp raven black hair. It had to be hard on him in so many ways, being much wiser in the ways of romance and affairs of the heart, trying to manage a very young and entirely unexperienced thing like herself… It was made even worse since she was smart enough to actually see the errors and feel their weight ten times heavier on her because of it. She’d probably end up over correcting more than a few times in their life until she got a better hold of it, until she learned to steer with the current rather than the way she thought was best, and she hoped… Prayed… That their ship together wouldn’t get too battered up on her learning curve. She slipped her hand down into the breast of her nightgown, the Matron she helped and served when she was done with Gia had been very free with the gifts lately and she had on her something sweet, something to perhaps make up for earlier… It was just a little waxed bit of paper, folded over a few times to ensure that the contents within stayed nice and snug where they were, and as he smoked and enjoyed the show she was unfolding the packet… The silvered dust inside was finer than talcum powder and shimmered beautifully. Just a little pinch… A little dusting over his hookah so that he could take it all in along with the rest… The effects? Would come in later if she wished but for right now? It was just helping to create an incredibly lush high…

The story wove on in the darkened room, the oil lamps burning lower and lower as the night seemed to speed on outside the river at a pace faster than the spinning of a top, the stars a blur of white lights in the sky while the river seemed to run slower than before… Time was warped and made beautiful to those within the room, the sweet drugs and sweeter alcohol married together to ensure everyone in the room was quite deliciously high, the way it hit was so slow… So subtle… You wouldn’t have known it until it was already quite advanced and even then it was less of a panic… More of a gentle realization of an altered state, all the while the story wove in and out, getting deeper…

The youth on the island with her who kept running slowly, over time began to open up to her, caring for her as being a Princess left her without the knowledge of many a basic skill… Providing her with food… Clothing… Shelter… Even small toys to pass the time and… As all things happen with a boy and a girl, they began to fall in love, whittling the days away in one another’s companies, learning of the world each other lived in. Yet all was not as it seemed, for the boy held a dark secret, one that came out at times when he felt a strong emotion or a physical pain. One day the young Princess kissed him and, given such a show of romantic interest he fled and the Princess gave chase, demanding to know why he ran from her.

It was then she found him wedging himself into a small space, so small in fact that he could barely breath, and while he was there she saw a currious thing… His skin began to glow and a great heat emanated from him, his voice deep and bestial as he told her to get away from him and she refused, staying by his side and over time… The fit passed and they spoke, the truth being revealed that he was the son of a Dragon, and it was her song that called to the dragon within him to capture her… To bring her with him… Why? She had asked, confusion and fear on her face, yet all the time there was the color of love in her every word and deed… And, after some time the young man revealed the truth, the reason why he had taken her… For a dragon can not be born of regular means, a dragon can only be born with a maiden, and the song was a way to tell the dragons that indeed a maiden was there and willing to be taken… And, with cheeks quite rosy, the Princess responded that it was not much different from what most men do when seeking a Princess…

Oh what foolish things girls are… For as he explained further that the way a dragon is born is not through the flesh but through fire… A maiden is burned alive atop a sacred altar, consumed by dragons flame and through the fire a new dragon is formed, born in the shape of a human baby… And thus all dragons are born… Or so he believed. This, naturally, scared the young Princess and she ran away from him… To a raft made from the many bits of shipwreck and on that she escaped the island, terror driving her from the boy she had loved, out into a formless sea shrouded by mist… And after some days she was indeed found by a Prince who had heard the tale of the young princess captured by dragons… She was saved, rescued and brought back to her father who celebrated her return with much joy and merriment, the Prince who had saved her was told he could marry the Princess and thus rule the kingdom through the marriage… But the Princess was not happy… While she had all the richest of gowns and the finest of foods, she longed for the soft old rags she had worn on the island, the fresh caught fish from the sea… The Prince was a charming man but cold, his goal to rule a kingdom and he bore no love for the princess, and the princess bore none for him… For her heart lay back on the island…

This did not go unnoticed by her father the King, and old and wise man who had known true love in his life, who knew what it looked like and could tell his daughter was in love… And not with the Prince who had saved her. Through the night they spoke, soft words and heartfelt confessions and while the King did not understand her choices, he knew that love? Must always be allowed to follow it’s natural course for nothing is more rare nor precious than True Love. Because of that the King loaded up another small boat full of the things she loved most and ensured no one interfered with the song and just as it had before, the Dragon came down from his island and swooped her up, carrying her back with him to the island she had now realized was Home to her. This time unlike the last though she was carried to the Alter where in the process of her death a new dragon would be born but she showed no fear despite the great, looming beast towering over her, flames licking from it’s nostrils to make the air quiver like a mirage… Rather than scream or try to run, she told the Dragon that she loved him, both sides of him and if this was the way it must be? Then she would accept her fate because that was what love was, what it meant, to be true to one another through all things good and bad… And with that she kissed the dragons flaming snout and-…

The smoke went black for some moments, the silent lingered on the air like a whores perfume, cloying and sticky… What happened? What was going to occur to the princess? Did the dragon burn her alive? Was there now a baby dragon being born from the ashes of her body?

Some minutes more passed before the story began once more, this time opening with the scene of a small child, a cherub of a thing running about with the young man close behind… A father and son as obvious as the sunrise, playing in the sands and along the waters before returning to the safety of the cave that was their home, settling the small boy into a crib… The child would ask about his mother then, where she was, when would he see her?...

Before the dragon could speak though there entered the princess, a smile on her face as she came to sit on the ground beside the bed, telling him that a Princess has many duties and can not be by his side all the time. There was many laughs and hugs around, stories told to lull a child to sleep and once such had come to pass, there left the Princess and her Dragon… Walking to the edge of a cliff where he would transform and she? Rode the waves of the wind on his back… For Love? Conquers All…

The scene came to a close then, the imagery fading like flower petals falling from the bud, the man who had told the story seemingly fast asleep… Worn out by the telling of such a tale… The couples as they were? Would split off as well, Thaylan and Nautilous on either side of Gia as they headed off into their room, Rose and Jacob to the other…

[BadInfluence]

The story had been enchanting, something that he had never heard before which was saying something given the amount of time he spent in books and in such gatherings, it had left him though with a bit of a bitter sweet taste in his mouth… Had Sydel just been another maiden on the pyre? Someone he burned to cinders so he could have a child? It certainly felt that way a bit given what he had going with Gia… He’d found his happiness but not without the cost of someone else’s sorrow. Was that how it had to be then? Did everyone have to hurt someone else in order to find that one thing that was right for them? If that was the case what a fucked up messy thing Love was… And yet who could resist it? It was the driving factor in this world, in any world, to find a love and hold onto it with white knuckled hands till death rips it from you and not a moment before… That was all he could think of as the story unfolded and his eyes danced back to Gia more than once, the way she lounged so elegantly between himself and Thaylan, not touching the pipe or the drink but the incense would do a good enough job to drop her guard down a few levels… Help her relax… Soften that noble line of her shoulder and spine… It was around that time that Thaylan had mentally rung him so to speak and the two talked in silent conversation, a bit of walki-talky style scheming but in the end it sounded oh far too lush to pass up, and as Thaylan had pointed out in that conversation that they’d not have another chance to do it… Both location and timing would be gone in a matter of hours, the window would close and they might not get it again for at LEAST a year if not longer… That timing alone told them both it was better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission in this particular situation.

Story teller asleep and high as a kite in the main living area the groups split off, Rose leading Jacob out by the hand as the boy was completely and utter down the rabbit hole with a whimsical smile on his face and a dangerous, sweet glaze to his eyes… If he wasn’t careful he might end up a meal for Rose if she was in a mood… And if she wasn’t? He certainly felt for his hang-over the next morning. While he couldn’t say all who did notice? He knew for a fact he had seen her dose him with something very luscious and the boy would be a panting mess for several hours unless she forced him to sleep or made sure he sweated it out. Shame on her really but perhaps make up sex was in order from what she had told him. Either way? His mind was easily turned to focus on what was at hand. He and Thaylan stood and easily lifted Gia between them, hands linked behind her back so she was escorted to the room by them, quite romantically honestly and oh so chivalrous… Until the door closed. Thaylan would continue to lead her in while he began to lock the door top to bottom and wedged a chair in front of it for good measure… The windows? Closed. Candles? Lit and burning more of that sweetly drugged wax so the room began to become a luscious den of hazy bubbling lust… Thaylan would have guided her to a large, oversized and incredibly comfortable chair, laboring under the guise of tending to her beautiful feet but secretly setting up fastenings… Hooks… The softest, finest spider web robe ever crafted was laid in secret before he’d stand up and come behind her, removing the pins from her hair as Nautilous came forward and kneeled between her legs… He was sure that Gia would have her eyes on Nautilous there, after all he was wearing her collar and given the newness of it he was confident her attention would be all over that, and in that moment? He slipped the blindfold over her eyes, robbing her of her sight but leaving everything else free, and in that moment of time… The confusion was when Nautilous would begin to expertly tie her, hands moving almost too fast to follow, the knots expertly tied with such speed… He was genuinely impressed by the skills as she was lifted and moved into a position that left her incredibly vulnerable…

Naut: Did you happen to save any of that gold leaf?
Thaylan: Naturally. Where did you plan to place it?
Naut: Oh you’ll see… Bring it here… Set it on the table by the potion…

Potion? Oh yes… Gia was to her very genetic code a Matron, she would never be able to slip into the role of a submissive or even somewhat vulnerable state unless she was taken there by another, guided into it with a somewhat firm hand… Because of that they had made sure to bring with them something viciously decadent, something safe for her and the babies while also heavy hitting enough to make sure she enjoyed this one night, the one night they would dare all and face the wrath in the morning… She would be able to hear a blade being drawn, the sharpest edge gently pressed along her skin before she’d feel the fabric of her dress being cut away inch by inch, and as each part of her flesh was exposed there was a pair of hot wet lips over it… Kissing… Sucking… Nibbling… The flick of a tongue and the sharp hard edge of teeth… At times soft as a feather… Others hard enough to bring a wave of sweet lush pain… She’d not be able to do anything even if she wished, bound hand and foot to the chair all she could do was experience it, embrace it and let it wash over her like rain. The dress was cut about half way off before she’d hear the sound of a vial being popped, the unmistakable cork wood pulled from glass and something sweet smelling floating on the air, heavily laced with things she had yet to dance with… Things unique to Nautilous and his rare stash of exotics… A small drop was allowed to fall on the top of her breast, burning hot at first before it’d soften into something lush, something forbidden and tingling as it slithered down her skin like a caress… Lowering still till it fell to her nipple and caught on that taught sweet flesh and seemed to cling to it… Soaking into the skin until it began to work it’s magic… Another drop atop the other breast as it followed the same vicious heat pattern before that addictive tingle, sluicing down her breast to seek out her nipple where it stopped, soaking into the spongy flesh… It would start slow at first, a tingle, a twitch… The slow blossoming of something almost painful, a hungry need for something, something that must be done… Had to be done… An itch that demanded scratching but she’d not be able to tell what needed done…

They’d let her embrace that sensation until it began to eat away at her, to make her whine and writher, to start to pant and crumble inwards… All the while she’d feel touches along her skin, the rest of her dress being cut away as tongues lapped at her skin, fingertips caressed and lightly scratched along soft ebony expanses… Her hair would be tugged or pulled, her neck suckled upon until she wore a necklace of hickies, her breasts cupped and palmed which only caused the potion to sink in deeper… To spread… Only when she begged did she get what she needed… Her hungry pleas would be silenced with lips upon her nipples, their hungry mouths latching on and nipping the supple berries, tugging and flicking with teeth and tongue… Each of them working her over in a way unique to them, and while it seemed to satisfy the need it also made it worse, like an itch that spreads as you scratch it… At which point she’d be able to smell that potion so close to her now before it would drift away and she’d feel two sets of fingers toying and stroking over her sweet little cunt, that potion thick and copious on their fingers as they painted her up with it, drugging her to the point that she could do nothing more than let her hair down and give up control… A starving creature of untold beauty and erotic need for them to satisfy her every whim… Domination and submission in a whole new way…

[Deleted]

The story was enchanting.. sweetly somber..a tale of love and the sharpness that can follow along it ..hand in hand.. decidedly she passed on the pipe and the laced drinks..she had her reasons.. and they were considerable.. her safety as the host of children coming into the world.. for it would be utterly selfish of her to make her body uninhabitable on the chance of a little fun.. secondly a Matron was forever and always in control.. at times more than others.. the grip was tight.. but her memory was sharp.. crystal.. she prided herself on that.. and third.. well.. she was away from her home.. and with everyone else partaking in it , in no short supply there was No guarantee of their safety.. regardless of what Nautilous had told her.. she knew better.. had witnessed it personally.. for even the great fell when distracted.. the heavy clouds of incense relaxed her though.. the harsh lines of her shoulders.. the strict lift of her chin.. elongating of her neck and that posture.. even when lounging was softening ..they both would have noticed it easily.. the story came to a close.. she smiled.. nodding her head.. clearly pleased with the tale telling ability their newest visitor held.. she felt warm.. and comfortable.. like as if she had been wrapped in a soft woolen blanket.. glancing up then as the two of them moved to stand.. she drew her knees in a little.. pushing herself to her feet.. to her surprise a few misteps were taken.. her balance was a little off.. brows drawing inward .. curious indeed as to just what was in that incense.. she was guided by the two back to their chambers.. -.. Well.. that was a beautiful evening.. -she reached around behind her to remove the shawl she wore.. settling down atop that chair.. settling back in.. her head tilting as she looked down to Thaylan with a smile.. not noticing the bindings being slid into place.. before he settled in behind her to remove the pins and pieces from her hair.. -.. Its been quite an educational visit.. -she nodded a little.. -.. so Thankyou.. Nautilous.. for bringing us all here..

-that garnet gaze fell to him as he settled upon his knees.. that collar clear even in the low lighting.. it was still a sight she was getting used to.. enjoying having him in their family.. before everything changed.. the fabric came down over her eyes and she noticeably stiffened.. her lips fell open as she gasped.. fingers went to reach up to touch or remove it only to find themselves being fastened down-.. Hold.. -sudden and Matronly sharp..she tested the bindings.. tugging back only finding such was impossible.. -.. Thaylan?.. -her breath caught.. she turned her head.. tilting it back to where she figured he was-.. Whats going on?. -there was a touch of panic in her voice.. a little uncertainty.. -.. Nautilous?.. -her body was drawn into that open position.. utterly and completely vulnerable.. she began to worry the corner of her lip with her teeth.. listening ..picking up on their every movement.. their every breath just as she did when Sydel robbed her of her sight in the graveyard.. her heart picked up there within her chest.. -.. What is going on here?.. I demand an answer.. Immediately.. sharply pointed ears twitched to the sounds of the blade being drawn.. could she have gotten it all wrong?.. was this a trap?.. if it were then she deserved death for falling for it.. the cold blade pressed to her skin had her stiffening.. had her holding a breath.. before it tore through her clothing.. that thin chiffon dress.. it just got looser and looser.. revealing more and more of the naked flesh beneath it.. before she felt those hot wet lips in its shadow.. her head dipped back and she whined.. she moaned.. oh her head was growing foggy.. the incense was so much thicker in the smaller space.. and what they were bringing forward within her was making her twitch and shudder.. the scent of whatever was in the bottle hit her.. it was sweet.. something foreign.. but really there was a lot she had never experienced.. pretty much anything from the surface world.. she hissed when that first drop hit her skin.. trickling its way down to that hardened pierced nipple.. the tingle as it splashed atop her second breast made her whimper.. made her grip that chair all the tighter..

what was this?.. what had he just poured on her?.. why was it so hot?.. it blossomed slowly.. just a tingle.. followed by something sharper.. something deeper.. before her breath started coming out in shorter bursts.. she trembled when they touched her.. she whined and gasped.. she moaned sweetly in response to the lips upon her neck.. the teeth dragging across her skin .. at first it did seem to help.. to ease the throbbing ache that was inside her.. but no.. soon it came back with vengeance.. like someone pouring petrol on a bonfire.. it burned from the inside.. -.. Oh my god.. -she groaned.. her muscles tensed and released...rocking her head back once more.. they continued to torment and tease her.. the oil scent hit her once more.. -...what is that?.. what is that liquid?.. Please.. -she all but begged.. before she felt those sticky slick fingers ..both of them.. gliding over that already glistening wet slit of hers.. it was heavy.. strong.. unable to be denied.. it just took over.. it took control of her.. it stole it from her iron grasp.. she groaned.. she shuddered.. she was in a place she was not familiar with.. and that was a little frightening.. -.. Oh boys.. what are you.. -she swallowed down a hitched breath as her head tumbled forward.. she gasped and writhed-.. what.. what are you doing?.. -her body flooded with goosebumps.. every touch they made she twitched in response.. acutely aware to their proximity.. their teasing.. their lips.. tongue.. and just how damn sensitive she'd become-

[BadInfluence]

“No one does a story like Egypt, it’s in our blood as much as the sun and sand, vital to our life and our happiness.” [/b] Was there any doubt now as to why he was such a vivid story teller? How he had a knack, a panache for spinning a tale, for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary? He loved to tell them, to watch peoples faces and the subtle shift of emotions over them as he painted pictures with a brush only the tongue could handle, the way people reacted to different tales could tell you so much about an individual… Things they themselves might not even know. “Tomorrow will be even more interesting as I will be setting you and Thaylan out on your own to explore your own adventures while Jacob and I go to the proper temples and get our own happy tale sorted. I wonder if you realize with marrying me you are getting your own small, ready made family with a son and two daughters, grandchildren on the way as well… It’s quite a change from the somewhat lonely life you knew before. Does it make you happy to know it’s all going to be very different now?” It was after all a huge change, she was surrounding herself with it, like the world changes colors with the seasons. Did she like the idea of having another daughter in Aysil? A son in Jacob? A daughter in law in Rose? Or would she not wish to actually lay any family styled claims on them simply because they were tied to Sydel Or would it have nothing at all to do with any of that and everything to do with the fact that Gia might simply prefer to hold close ties to those she saw of her own blood line and skin color? It was a curious thought and one he had not spared much time for but now with it all being so close… Was it something that mattered enough to worry about? He wasn’t asking her to step in as a mother figure but if she wanted to he would never be against it. Gia was a unique woman, somehow able to be incredibly soft but brutally firm all at once, she held both in her hand and it was as beautiful as it was utterly terrifying. “Regardless of everything though I find variety is the very spice of life and you must explore all the flavors if you are to say you have lived it to the very fullest extent of your abilities.” And that was something they would do together he was quite sure of it. She could now come to the surface without pain and while he was very well aware that her heart beat for Menzoberranzan and no other land that didn’t mean they couldn’t take little weekend adventures to foreign lands where she could explore and expand horizons she once felt would only be experienced in dreams.



They were tending to her gently, sweetly, each of them having a particular set of tasks in hand to complete for the evening… They were both distracting her, a game that consisted of sleight of hand and misdirection, smoke and mirrors so that she never got the full picture of just what was going on. Thaylan knew just how to keep her focus and he knew how to distract her at the right times so that when they were ready? The Matron was about to realize her mates were spiders of their own and were just as capable as weaving a net around her as she was for them. It was meant to show her something new and different, something sensual and seductive, a chance to be thoroughly spoiled without having to so much as lift a finger… A fine blend of submission without her having to do anything that would cause her role as Mistress to be questioned. Indeed if one were to word it carefully they might even be able to say that this was nothing more than two well trained slaves tending to their Mistress without even being told to do so… It all depended on the spin one wished to put on it. “You will never fly if you do not test your wings my sweet…” The words were spoken close to her ear, a heavy whisper that held so much promise in it’s tone, the inflection alone was enough to hint at such delightful things… “A Patron and a Shield Master lay their lives in the hands of their Mistress and Matron, a sign of ultimate trust to submit to such an extent, to know a single act could end their life… But a Mistress risks nothing in this, she reigns supreme, a Goddess untouchable…” There was no balance there in that way, a Matron in Menzoberranzan risked little and lost less, she was supreme and no one but Lloth was above her. She was however about to marry two men who had been away from that style of life and weren’t about to fold quite so easily. Not from a lack of trust nor because they were exceptionally stubborn. If anything it was out of sheer respect for her, her brain and her brilliance that they were pushing her own boundaries, showing her that walls she once thought were brick were far more elastic than first thought.



A trap though? Oh if they were able to hear such a thought from her their hearts would likely break into such small pieces dust would seem chunky in comparison. This was anything but a trap, or at least not the sort to hurt her, this was simply an exercise in love and trust, for the river that flowed left must also flow right from time to time. If not? Could it really be called balance? Neither of them were out for anything selfish or greedy, the thought had at first been put forward by Thaylan, the chance to do something like this would likely never truly come up again and they were both of the mind to carpe diem lest the opportunity escape them like a unicorn in the forest. “My sweet little sister, all we wish to do is to spoil you, to give you such peaks of ecstasy and rapture that they will warm you for all your days… Our hearts, our lives are yours, our one goal is to serve you…” Thaylan said gently as the bottle of potion was brought forward, such a sweet little thing, hardly more than the size of your little finger, but what was inside was utterly lush… Rare, elusive, the cost of it was at least a thousand times more than it’s weight in gold but for tonight? Oh it was entirely worth it for tonight. Her dress was little more than a sliced remnant of what it had been, peeled away bit by bit as the knife cut through it like butter, leaving her exposed to lips and tongues which worshiped her skin like ardent followers. “You are always in control but that leaves you with feeling, knowing only one side of pleasure, you’ve never seen the other side of the coin… You can’t given who you are, where you come from, what you were groomed to become… But tonight we’ve taken that mantle from you, we’ve removed the weight of it from your shoulders, that crown rests atop it’s pillow for you to take up again once we’re done…” He said as he whispered against her skin, his hands well scarred, hot and hard against the softness of her flesh… The potion released as a single drop atop one of her breasts, to dribble down that high firm mound before coalescing around her nipple, sinking into the skin like the richest of lotions.



He knew it was starting to work the moment she began to whimper and grip the chair, seeing how the bands of webbing moved and shifted, gave just enough so that she wouldn’t hurt herself but keeping her restrained so that she could not escape. Only the finest of spiderwebbing can do such a thing so it was blatantly obvious that they had indeed intended to do what they promised… To keep her there and show her things she had yet to even imagine… “The elves call it liquid lust, the goddess Hanali herself crafts it through her exuberant love affairs, it’s incredibly potent and makes even the most cold and aloof elf eager to fuck. This version is refined a hundred times over until it’s potency is unrivaled, mixed then with several of your own Drow lotions and potions like that which you had at the party, ensuring this is the utterly most perfected lust potion ever crafted…” Hence the way it hit her like a brick, made her hot and wanting, her sweet pussy already slick and wet with little more than their fingertips caressing her skin and their lips atop her nipples… “It’s completely safe for you in your condition my love, we would never risk our daughters or you for a night of unrivaled pleasures, so please relax… Allow yourself to be swept away…” Thaylans words were whispered against her neck now, their hands each bearing a single drop of potion atop a finger before they’d slide their hands over her wet sweet cunt, sliding it not over her skin but inside her, depositing them deep within her vice tight slit so that she would be insatiable… Neither of them would be able to fully satisfy her tonight, they could both fuck her until their least breath and she would still want more, still need them… The trick? Was that it wouldn’t let up until she fully embraced the act as a whole, let herself release her grip on everything and surrendered to pleasure for pleasures sake, only then could the ache be eased by sensual satisfaction…



“Breathe my sweet sister… Feel the drugs dance along your veins like liquid gold… Feel his hands against your skin… Rough and coarse… A man’s hands… A warriors… Your Shield Master… Where is he touching you? How does it feel? Your safe but utterly vulnerable… At any moment one of us might sink ourselves into your sweet, supple flesh, slide home inside your beautiful body and making love to you… And you won’t be able to see which of us it is.” They both knew what they were doing, Thaylan was always going to be more submissive than anything else, it was why he was left with the words, the description while the actions were done by Nautilous himself. In the moments while Thaylan talked he took the time to stroke his rough fingers over her skin, atop her breasts and over her nipples, to catch the golden twin serpents and to tug them each in turn… Pain but sweetly laced, not enough to hurt or scare her, just enough to sharpen the moment… Succulent tugs that pulled her nipples taut before being released, hands sliding down to cup each breast, to lift them high and grip them firmly in his large rough hands… Pinching, stroking, squeezing and rolling her nipples between his fingers as he molded her breasts to his hands… Pushing that potion deeper into her skin, through her body so that every little nerve ending in the incredibly complex drow system was lit up like a Christmas tree, she’d feel everything on such a level she had never known before… Turning on, or perhaps even creating, a very dangerously addictive craving.



While her breasts were molded by Nautilous’s hands, Thaylan was right before her, naked between her legs as he gripped the chair, careful so that she couldn’t feel him… Had no idea of his placement before he would slide his cock up into her wet little cunt, slow and sweet, so familiar and filling… Oh he couldn’t stop the strangled groan of pleasure as he did, he had made love to her earlier but that had not been for his own gratification but for hers, now? Well now he was seeking his own pleasures deep inside her, knowing with the potion and their hands, their words that she would be finding her own as well… Probably long before he found his own climax if this potion was everything it was promised to be… He caught Nautilous’s eyes as he fucked Gia, saw the sweet anguish on his face, knowing he must be aching… Rock hard and hungry for the pussy he filled… “Your lovers face is a mask of sweet pain my little sister… He wants to be here inside your perfect little pussy, thrusting into you over and over, sinking in so deep his balls rest against your wet cunt like mine... But I will make him wait… Make him hungry for it… He is your slave, our slave, and that means I get to cum first…” He teased… Tormented as his thrusts were so slow… Saccharine and deep, so incredibly fucking deep as the position she was held in left no room for her to keep him from pushing himself balls deep within her… Each thrust at the angle to hit her g-spot, to grind against her sensitive clit, dragged out so she felt the thick torpid heat of his cock… There was no rush from him, only the most maddeningly hypnotic thrusting inside her, pushing and pulling at her honeyed walls in such a way to make sure she was soaking wet… Pussy drooling with need… Until her lips parted and she begged for something more… And if such a plea never came? He’d continue that slow, languid pace until she shattered around his cock, his hand coming down to rest over her clit where he’d roll it from side to side so she’d find herself the slave of one orgasm right on top of another… Marrying the climax of her cunt and clit until she was struck breathless and gasping… Until she forced him out with her tightness and when she reached the point that she couldn’t take another moment of an orgasm only then would he shove himself deep inside her and cum… Unleashing torrents of rich spunk deep inside her as their lips meshed… Him and Nautilous over hers, tongues dancing and saliva exchanged as their passionate seduction of their Mistress turned slave continued on, Nautilous’s hands palming her breasts as Thaylan continued to make love to her… Cum dribbling down her ass to splatter on the floor… One of Nautilous’s hands releasing her breast to drop down and ply her clit with a Gods level of knowledge how to pleasure her, bring her to peak after peak nearly one right on top of the other, the two of them showing her the dangers of this…



This being what they could bring her to with little more than a bit of rope and their own skills…

[Deleted]

-she listened as Nautilous spoke about what would be occurring the next day.. how himself and young Jacob would be setting out.. visiting temples to finally make the relationship between Father and Son that had been growing over the years.. official.. but that her and Thaylan would be given time to explore on their own.. talk of children.. and just how much she would be earning through marriage had her tilting her head.. a smile ..warm playing about her lips-.. Ahh but I always dreamt of a large family Nautilous.. from a very young age...it is ingrained in us over the years to want this.. to need this for our own safety.. for the bloodlines will only ever succeed through multiple births.. The additions of your daughter Aysil.. your Son Jacob and then of course young Rose and any children they have will always be welcomed with open arms.. They will be afforded the same as blood would receive.. for once we are joined.. officially.. they will be no different in my eyes.. -she nodded.. even with her head being a little on the foggy side.. family was a topic that was incredibly important to her.. even if it pained her to have had to have been there to witness the death of her sister.. but such somber thoughts were fleeting as she was guided to that chair.. settling in as the two of them began to temper her.. to soften her with touches.. gentle and sweet.. her brothers fingers in her hair.. removing the pieces of jewellery he had only just gifted her.. before it all changed.. it shifted and switched.. her sight was taken..the length of darkened silk wrapped around her head making her stiffen.. her wrists and ankles were bound.. her body was secured to that seat in an incredibly vulnerable position.. open.. it was clear from her tone that she was not terribly comfortable with it.. feeling a little trapped.. she demanded answers.. hearing Thaylans voice so close to her ear.. she took a quiet breath.. dragging her tongue across her teeth.-..Are you suggesting I risk nothing?

.-her brows furrowed a little-.. If I step out of line my dear Brother.. people die.. If I make the wrong call.. the House falls.. If I dont temper my words.. bite my tongue or curb my hand at the right time.. I could lose favour.. You risk death yes.. I risk a life of the most ultimate torture that a soul would never recover from.. -she was far from untouchable.. she reigned yes.. she was born for this role yes.. but that was only because of what she had built up.. inside.. but everyone had a weakness.. everyone faltered.. and she could .. Easily if someone prodded the wound.. maybe he had been gone a bit too long.. her thoughts on this being a trap were simply a fail safe.. a safety mechanism in her mind.. she knew they'd never hurt her.. not intentionally.. she tugged at the bindings.. testing their strength.. she wasn't going anywhere.. fastened down securely.. the potion bottle came into play.. the scent one she could not place.. but its rarity was clear.. an audible gasp sounded as she felt the cold blade pressing to her skin.. a shudder.. an unconscious tremble as the dress was slowly sliced down.. cut open.. revealing inch after inch of her warmed rather flush skin.. his words continued to ring through her mind.. that they were desiring to spoil her.. that their goal was to serve her.. but that with her always being in control she was missing something.. she didn't dip into the submissive side ..before she had the chance to respond though that potion was trickled down onto her breasts and she stiffened.. it was hot.. it tingled as it moved.. his hands only made it so much worse.. she moaned.. she whimpered.. her head dipped backward as she took a sudden breath.. they were spoiling her.. utterly and completely... warm wet lips upon her skin.. hands exploring.. reaching.. touching.. gripping and pinching.. her heart beat was picking up.. she couldn't help the whine.. the shifting.. that itch was startng to develop.. it was coming in strong.. she felt hot ..Nautilous explained to her what it was.. this liquid lust.. how potent it was and how it had been refined so many timesover.. -.. Its like.. -she swallowed down a hitched breath-.. nothing ive experienced.. before..

-her voice came out a little stuttered.. a little broken as she clawed at her lower lip with her teeth.. she felt as though she were about to pop .. thankful she was to hear the potion was safe.. before they tossed her again.. coating up those fingers and sliding them up into her.. she gripped that chair tighter.. a sweet cry was stolen from her lips .. oh the heat was incredible.. the ache.. the throbbing.. it was like a constant flicker inside her.. Thaylans voice echoed.. she turned her head toward it.. her breathing came out in shorter bursts.. tormenting.. taunting.. teasing.. the tugging of her nipple rings.. the pinching.. stroking.. squeezing and rolling all made her groan and whimper.. every time they touched her she'd twitch.. she'd gasp and tremble..before Thaylan took her by surprise.. without warning.. she'd lost her bearings.. she had no idea where they were standing.. it was all coming to her in an echo.. as if she were caught in a chamber.. the moment he slid into her she cried out.. her head dipped back.. mouth dropped open.. he filled her.. the sensations from such a simple action.. something they had done multiple times in the past were like nothing else.. it was like a million tiny sparks going off.. it made her groan.. made her whine and whimper.. anguish there upon her face..fingers gripped the chair tighter.. she shuddered.. he pushed her.. with that slow languid pace.. teasing.. she was so wound up.. tighter than a drum.. he would have felt every single pulse.. every throb and flutter.. those fingers rolling down over her clit were her undoing..she cried out loudly.. she tore into her lower lip.. enough that blood trickled down her chin.. it was like a constant wave of pleasure.. hit after hit after hit.. she was gasping for a breath she couldn't possibly catch no matter how hard she tried.. before she felt him explode deeply within her.. coating her.. painting her as she hissed and groaned.. she felt like her body were burning from the inside.. the kisses she couldn't keep up with.. tongues and spit.. were shared.. she swore her heart was about to burst.. it would be then that Nautilous would glide those fingers down .. pleasuring her.. knowing the pressure required to set her off over and over and over again.. her cries were louder.. higher in pitch.. her breaths little more than almost panicked panting.. her body was so incredibly sensitive.. the twitching.. the shudders all continued.. her mind was utterly fucked-

[BadInfluence]

“I must admit it’s charmingly unique to know that.” It was good to know that both Jacob and Rose, plus their own children and such would be given the same rights and placement as children of he and Gia’s own bloodline, and while he understood that they might not wish to live out their lives in Menzoberranzan that did not mean they would not be welcome. This would perhaps be a turning point in history, the first time two lines had melded in such a way as to be part of the Drow Royalty, to perhaps mend bridges set alight by Elistrae’s errors. Their own children might in time marry into other Drow Houses, to blend the bloodlines even more, to perhaps create an entirely new species… A drow version of the Sylvan. There would be something very interesting in their futures no matter what came about, of that he was certain. “Having had no family of my own my whole life I always wanted one, I just never dreamed I find it in you, such a warm woman who had always seemed cold and hard as ice…” She had always been so aloof, cold and distant, he saw nothing in her through their letters or random meet ups that would have lead him to believe she was anything other than a true ice queen. How funny it was that a single kiss had shown him the err of his ways and changed his whole life around to such an extent that not a single thing of it was in common with what he had always known. “I hope in time you will come to love Jacob as I have, and Rose is a charming girl in many ways, just terribly young and very lost… She needs very much what you have in spades… Guidance and compassion. It’s a bit romantic that you have a knack for finding and saving lost souls…” She had found him when he was drowning and no one had known, perhaps she could help pull Rose out of her own tarry abyss, because if anyone knew what it was like to play pawn to Gods and have no choice over it? It was him. His one leveler had been his power once he discovered it… Rose? Might never reach that point. That being said? What ever came he knew they would face it together, as a family, a solidified front and take care each other.

Thaylan’s words were spoken softly, a gentle tease, though her words in response struck deep. He had been gone a very, very long time but he knew many of the rules and structures in place as well as any man might, though he still felt as if he had wounded her in a way with words said in gentle seduction… He wanted her to step out of that mindset a little, to let her hair down, to allow those sweet shoulders to drop just a little… But perhaps he had been gone too long and she had been in just the same, she might need them to understand that some things couldn’t change, she might release some slack on the reigns but she would never hand them over. He understood that, respected it, but that did not mean he wasn’t a little sorry for it… It was not that he wished her to drop down to the level of a slave, nothing of the sort, he just wanted her to be able to relax and let go… Let herself be a creature of pure sensation and little if any thought. He knew how amazing it felt and this? Was just a wish to return the favor, so to speak. “Forgive me my little spider…” He said gently as their fingers slowly danced over her skin in a stylized erotic poetry of movement, the two of them working over her in tandem yet in different spots, stretching her mind and her sensations so that she could not focus solely on one area. “We only wish to bring you pleasure… Allow us that, our sweet Mistress, our Matron… You’re slaves always desire to go above and beyond your greatest desires…” This was the truth of it, they only wished to bring her pleasure of the sweetest nature, the sort that would mark her visit to the surface with such saccharine memories she’d never see it in any light but the most rose tinted hues.

The potion began to come into play then, something gentle and hot at first, the lightest bite of a venomous serpent of seduction… They would risk nothing in this play, no danger would ever come to her or their shared children, they ensured that everything was going to go as smooth as spider silk. If there was even the slightest danger they would never have dared but this was a guilt free pleasure, a high without the crash later, a sweet treat without the risk. “Isn’t it lush Mistress? You’re the only woman I’ve ever given that title too, the only one I’ll ever bend to, my Mistress and my Matron… My Goddess…” He whispered against her ear as he and Thaylan took that droplet atop their fingers and slipped them inside her, coating her inner honeyed walls with that potion so that she was going to be taken to peaks as such she’d never known before, the high of a Drow party but without her loosing her wits. She was in control even while being restrained. He fondled and palmed her breasts as Thaylan lined himself up with her sweet core, sliding that delicious cock into his sister as if they were born in such a position, seeing the way they were hooked together made him deliciously tense… He wanted it too, wanted to feel her tight pussy wrapped around his throbbing shaft, to let her milk him with her vice like walls until she sucked every drop of spunk out of his balls, but he knew his place tonight… Secondary… Last to come… And only if he was given permission by Thaylan. So? Behind Gia he stood with his hands atop her supple, perfectly full, utterly perky and bouncy tits. He tugged and twisted her nipples, pushed her supple flesh between his fingers so that the potion was worked through her nervous system, making her burn higher and hotter every second that passed. She’d eventually reach a plateau where she could take no more but she couldn’t stop herself from wanting it either, at that point Thaylan sunk himself deep inside her and came hard as they shared that bloodied kiss from where her teeth and ripped into her lip.

He knew she was getting to that point of no return, Thaylan himself couldn’t have held on a moment longer if his life depended on it, after all he wasn’t immune to the succulent rarity of his beloveds position… The way she looked tied up and left bare with cum dribbling out of her supple cunt… Her lovers hands atop her tits and clit while her pussy clenched and fluttered, forcing more of that useless cum out of her, abs rippling with every peak and undulation… He watched as Thaylan fell to his knees and dropped his head between her thighs and began to lap, suckle and slurp on her cunt, removing every trace of his cum from her flesh and deep inside her cunt. Between them they would have urged her to a few more earth shattering orgasms before Thaylan would step away and guide Nautilous into the same position he had been in, Gia tied to the chair but he wanted something different, something more… He took the blindfold off of her then and released the ties dragging her into his lap as he sat on the floor and held her in his arms like the most precious thing in the world to him… Which was exactly what she meant to him… And with slow, reverent movements he sunk himself home inside of her, his hands holding her arms behind her back in a soft display of dominance… Not as a Master but as a Man… A man with his woman, his mate, his breeder and his wife… Each thrust was slow and sensual, their skin touching and rubbing against each other like silk and satin, his lips against her neck where he had left his bite as a scar upon her skin… Kisses like poetry, like songs and sonnets, making love to her with lips and tongue as he whispered words of romance in Egyptian against her flesh… While she might not know the words she would know the meaning in them as he rocked up into her, pushing them both to such a peak that they were in the sweetest agony, he personally holding them back from that perfect place… Refusing to let them fall… Building them higher and higher… After at least an hour of keeping them on that pleasured razor fine edge he released her arms and placed her hands over his neck where her collar sat, his hands atop her waist, those fully rounded hips in her hour glass figure… Pulling her down onto him so she was to the very base of his cock and he was bottomed out in her… Hand drifting to her clit as he began to roll it perfectly, his lips finding hers in a whispered prayer… “I love you…”

When he shattered he saw white, stars and universes spun out around him, his balls clenching so hard he felt nothing but pain for several moments but the absolute most perfect rapture hit him like heaven itself. He poured himself into her until he was nothing more than an empty vessel, his balls a hollow, dry dessert as she received a load so rich and plentiful it gushed out around their joined bodies into a mess under them… They all came together then, He Gia and Thaylan in a tangle of arms and kisses, lips and tongues roving and paying homage to the Goddess of Pleasure herself… Lifting her up between them with her still buried on his cock they’d fall into bed amid magically cooled sheets, Thaylan pressing behind her as he slid his cock into her along side Nautilous’s, both of them anchored deep inside her as they’d drift off into a pleasure hazed and satisfaction rich sleep…

[Deleted]

Rose needs to make mistakes.. -she nodded-.. her youth is no real excuse.. babying her however is not going to help her at all.. she needs to stumble.. she needs to trip up .. she needs to make mistakes or she's never going to learn. We were all there.. though for some of us it was quite a while ago.. She needs her heart broken to learn to cherish love.. she needs to learn what its like to have everything taken away..to understand what it means to have plenty.. she needs to lead.. she needs to fail.. she needs to apologise and mean it.. she needs to make choices..firm choices.. especially if there is risk involved.. she will be fine..if people allow her to grow up.. -..Rose had a lot of talent.. thats why she hired her.. but she was also incredibly naive ..she hoped that over time the woman would learn to stand on her own two feet.. and not lean so much on Jacob..self worth was important..a woman was complimented by a man.. she didn't need to lean on him.. Thaylan surprised her then.. taking her down a path she was not expecting.. one she took offence too.. it reminded her..that he had been away for so many years.. that he had missed out on a great deal of what would be considered core training.. still.. it stung.. pursing her lips together at his apology.. her vision was stolen.. a blindfold slid into place.. her arms and legs were fastened to that chair.. the rope only the softest silk.. tight enough to restrict her movement.. with just enough give that she wouldn't be able to hurt herself.. they teased and tormented her.. two sets of hands.. fingers wandered.. touched and caressed every inch of her warmed skin.. the dress was cut open..chiffon just floating to the side.. the incense in the room was thick.. her head was heavy.. the fog floated about in her mind.. softening her.. making her exhale gently.. making her twitch and whimper..before that liquid lust was put into play.. trickled down atop her skin.. massaged into those rounded breasts of hers..

the heat was immense.. it struck her without warning.. making her grip the chair tighter.. making her toes curl against the polished flooring .. his words echoed through her mind.. that she was the only woman he had called Mistress.. the only that he would bend to.. her head dipped forward as she murmured.. her teeth worried the corner of her lips.. chewing at it before they slid fingers up into her and a saccharine cry sounded in response.. her upper body stiffened.. her chest arched out.. it rocked her.. that potion.. like waves.. over and over.. heat.. tingles.. sparks.. she trembled.. she shook.. before Thaylan filled her ..another cry echoed through the room as he thrust into her.. gliding in and out with ease.. coating his cock with that very same potion in the process.. she groaned and gasped.. whimpered and hissed.. her teeth tore through that plump lower lip as blood trickled down her chin.. it was ruining her.. her body felt on fire.. burning.. the pressure was so immense on the inside.. her heart throbbed.. it ached within her chest.. there was so much going on.. hands upon her.. her nipples being twisted and grabbed.. easily losing count of the times she had met that peak.. his slow teasing thrusts just spurned her on.. just pushed her that little bit harder.. before she felt him explode so deeply it hurt.. his lips claiming hers.. before he fell to his knees.. she whined..she gasped.. still trying desperately to catch her breath.. her nails had scratched through the paintwork on the chair by the time he pulled back.. she was bordering on over sensitivity.. that fine line where pleasure met with pain.. where it became too much.. the sudden removal of the blindfold had her blinking.. her eyes were trying to adjust as tears tumbled down her cheeks.. the glassy appearance from the sheer pressure of it all..

she'd tensed so hard and for so long that when he pulled her into his lap she barely sat upright.. her breaths were still coming out in short little gasps.. that potion was burning through her.. overtaking her.. her fingers twitched when he gripped her wrists behind her back.. before he sunk home.. those garnet orbs rolled back.. her lips fell open as she moaned.. her muscles jumped.. her body trembled.. she gasped and whined everytime he rolled his hips.. everytime he stretched her that little bit more.. those ridges upon his cock dragging against her already cum slick insides.. kisses upon her bruised neck.. softly spoken words of love though in a language she did not recognise.. the sentiment was felt though.. his tone said all she needed to know.. her heart was beating erratically.. its rhythm was out of place.. shallow and quick as she gasped and whined.. the hour was gone in what felt like a matter of a moment.. the fact he was able to keep them both teetering on that edge for that long was magical really.. before he released her hands and they found their place weakly upon his shoulders.. nails brushing against the collar that rested there.. before he began to push.. to roll his thick fingers over her clit.. panic set in those eyes then as she looked to him.. -.. I.. I can't.. -she stuttered.. she foudn that edge quickly and fell easily from it.. right along side him.. the pressure from their joined climax caused her to take in a sharp breath.. and she fell lax in his arms.. her body couldn't take anymore of it..it was hot.. it was hard.. and it was fast.. all encompassing...that body of hers cried hold.. and she blacked out-

[BadInfluence]

Despite her own thoughts and desires she put Jacob first tonight, drugging him up a bit more than the others with something she had been given as a gift from the other House Matron she had been tending when she was not busy with Gia, ensuring that the wonderful buzz she had ruined returned full force and he was able to relax in only the most extreme comfort. When the story was done, something she half paid attention to with her eyes on Jacob more than anything else, she had helped him to his feet and lead him to their room. Ace had tormented her a fair bit, made an ache settle that she wasn’t going to allow to control her, pushing it aside instead as she settled Jacob into that big bed. A little magic so the sheets were delicious cool and the curtains pulled close the room was a perfect little cave of comfort for them, she’d tuck him in and set on the beside table a glass of water with a pitcher and a few small rolled pills for any hang over he might have come the morning, wanting to be sure he had all he would need before she’d leave the room. She stayed in the hotel room though, sitting in the main area with a book in her hands, one of the few she had brought with her from the surface as she thumbed through the pages…

It was her diary, she’d started to write when she left the orphanage, wanting to track her growth as a person and to have notes on special things that happened, sometimes nothing more than a new tea recipe but she had written every day. It wasn’t till Jacob entered her life that she had noticed a change in the entries, they were larger and more colorful, her writing had taken on a hue it never had before. Where had that girl gone she wondered silently to herself. She missed her in ways she couldn’t really define and if she could? She would be hitting that big red reset button in a heart beat if she had that at her disposal. She would have undone everything from then to now and taken a slightly different path. She’d have played nice with Ric rather than snubbing him and challenging him when he pushed her, she’d avoid the entire rape situation and the constant fighting with Luna and her friend. She’d have also let she and Jacob unfold at a slower pace, like the one they had been on before they’d been abducted by the Tryst, locked up in that cabin until they had sex… It wasn’t as if she had not enjoyed it, she really had, he had made their first time pure magic and she would always see it as utterly romantic… But she wondered if the fact they had been chucked together like that hadn’t been part of why she went through so many hard lefts and rights… True she had run into some nasty events, she’d hit more than a few points that would have broken a person, hell they had broken her… But she wanted to know why she looked back at this diary and she could no longer find any remnant of herself from then in the current day. Where had that sense of humor gone? Where had her laughter vanished off to? The smiles? Why was she nothing more than a ball of drama, nerves and anxiety?

Ace had shown her when he left that she was a hell of a lot worse than she had actually realized. These diaries only confirmed it and she could tell there was one pivotal point where things had all changed… The moment she and Jacob had sex it was like a door had opened, her bubble had burst and all the ugly and mean in the world had flooded in, sex being something akin to the pandora’s box for her. Why though? What was it with sex that was causing all of this to happen? Was it her mother? Her father? She knew a smattering, a little of what she had watched and the rest of what she had been told, and if anything her entire existence was a stupid fucking mess. She shouldn’t exist, she knew that and there were some days when she woke up and wished she didn’t, knew certain peoples lives would be better off for it… A few people would still be alive if that were the case. Sad that she was going through a case of clinical depression but she didn’t tell a soul, she just scrambled about in the dark like a roach, pretending nothing was wrong and all was as it seemed. Life had certainly forced her to become an exceptionally good actress lately hadn’t it? And on top of that look at what she had done… Gone into the Underdark because she had a fixation on the Drow and dragged Jacob with her, made him suffer in a position where he had to kill because someone else told him so, taken away his freedom and his pride just to suit her own ends. Good job Rose, real fucking winner you are, aren’t you?

She wanted to stop it all, just give it up and end it, she wanted a do over… A restart. She wanted to go back to this place in her life and just do it all over differently, where she knew what she had done wrong and never do it, keep from hurting people with her stupid blunders…

Voice: You can do it, you know… Restart it all, get a new beginning, go back to the girl you used to be…

Rose: Who’s there? -her voice was panicked, unsure as she gripped the pages tightly in her hands, was the voice in the open? In her head?

Voice: Does it really matter who is or isn’t there? All that should matter is that you can get what you’re wishing for.

Rose: Nothing in this world, or any world is free, and I’m pretty positive I am high from the drugs earlier.

Voice: Oh that’s true, nothing is free at all, but I can promise you that you’re not high right now.

Rose: Listen, I’ve had a rough year can you just go away alright?

Voice: Is that what you really want though?

Rose: Oh God in Heaven can you stop with the genie in the bottle gimmick? Your annoying me.

Voice: Genie? Oh that’s cute given we’re in Egypt I can see that. But no, I’m no Genie, rather you can consider me more like… A guardian Angel.

Rose: -She burst out laughing at that point and the look on her face was nothing but condescending, almost cruel- Listen here sprinkle tits, my guardian angel took a fucking vacation when she let me get molested and raped, far as I am concerned they’re a dead bead and can go fuck themselves.

Voice: Oh so sassy! Imagine what the old Rose would have said if she heard you eh? And that look on your face, why, I’m sure that would scare the pants off of her.

Rose: Well she’s dead and there’s no going back so would you just go away?! I’m trying to figure something out and you’re bugging the hell out of me.

From the shadows approached a tall figure, easily on par with Nautilous himself but so much darker than he was, tattooed from head to toe and dressed in red and black silk… He was gorgeous and terrifying at the same time and a part of her that was still that orphan child immediately crossed herself and said a small short prayer to God for protection. The man looked like Lucifer himself would, beautiful and seductive, tempting and an easy one way route to hell for all eternity. The man laughed seeing her making the sign of the cross and came forward at the very same time, a pair of horns sprouting from his forehead which only compacted her religious view, causing her to scooch back on the sofa where she sat with her heart in her throat.

Pseudo Lucifer: No amount of crosses or religious belief is going to get me to go away there little flower, I decided you’re just too perfect a pawn to let go, but don’t worry… I’ll leave you be for tonight, I’m incredibly patient after all, and I always get what I want… Sweet dreams for now…



That alone was more than just a little terrifying for her, the fact that someone had just popped into the room like nothing was going on, despite the fact that she and Thaylan had both warded it nine ways to Sunday for Gia’s protection… That shouldn’t have been possible, there should have been alarms going off all over the place, the person who broke through them should be scarred and damn near burned to a crisp if not outright dead. So why? How? Why in the hell had someone strong enough to just waltz in and out of the guards and wards be interested in her? What did she have to offer that anyone in heaven or hell might be interested in? She was a fuck up, a seriously confused and more than a little backwards kid inside a womans body, about to be a mother and having no idea what so ever how to manage any of it… What did they think she had to give them? Connections? Hardly. She wasn’t THAT chummy with anyone powerful enough to tempt someone like that. Her lineage? Take it. She hated it, she wanted her simple life back, the one before she had a handful of Gods constantly bickering inside her head like some gods damned soap opera version of Jerry Springer. Weirder still was that the thing outright called her a pawn. So she was just a weapon to move things along, a piece to guide around, not even a fucking rook or a night nope… Just a pawn. So seriously… Why? Jacob would have been the more powerful out of their pair given his own lineage made hers look like a laughable shit show.



What was she going to do? Keep it to herself? Um yeah no… She made enough mistakes thinking she was big enough to handle things like that on her own. Tell Jacob? Hell no. He was already worried about her because of her trip with Ace she wasn’t about to go repeat that mistake and compound his misery. This was supposed to be a FUN event. A happy occasion. She just fucked it all up. But you know… She did know someone who was the King of fuck ups but somehow always came out on top. Because of that she went to find him, catching him about an hour after that event when he got up to get a glass of water, keeping her eyes studiously around the area of his neck and up despite the fact he was naked and terrifyingly hung… And she thought Jacob was scary holy fuck apple from the tree came to mind… But she pushed that away as she talked to him about what had just happened, the person suddenly appearing, seeming every inch like Lucifer himself but giving nothing away about himself. Just the offer to give her that reset…



She had no idea that Gia and Nautilous had been talking about her or she’d have asked someone else because what she got back from Nautilous left her feeling stripped down and raw, scolded like a little child and made to feel really quite small, causing her to curl her hands into fists by her side despite the fact that she took it all quietly.



Nautilous: I know your young Rose but you can’t run to everyone else with your problems. Issues with school, with Ace, with Sydel and any number of other females… You’ve always run to someone about them rather than stand on your own.



Rose: And who’s fault is that? I was fine on my own and I was more than capable of handling things solo but then your son came in and told me that it was ok to lean on him and all of you as my family. You ALL told me that. Now it’s like you changed your mind and I can’t ask any of you for advice? What did I do to merit that?



Nautilous: Don’t take it so personally Rose. It’s something that was brought to my attention and after some inspection it’s been proven pretty apt. You want everyone to help you now instead of fixing it by yourself.



Rose: Are you Serious right now?! What sort of stuff were you just smoking to get that idea into your head? And who the hell has been talking about me behind my back?



Nautilous: No one is talking behind your back Rose, take a breath, you’re getting your back up for nothing.



Rose: For nothing? Seriously? Someone just waltzed in here and called me a pawn! We warded this place so no one could get in or out without us knowing and this guy with horns showed out of the blue and you’re telling me that I’m agitated for nothing?



Naut: Look, none of the wards were tripped, no one was hurt and no one but you heard or felt anything…



Rose: Oh my God… Are you insinuating that I did this myself? That I made this up or something?



Naut: I wouldn’t say that… But look… You’re pregnant and you were high from the incense like the rest of us, maybe you just have a really overactive imagination, projecting issues onto some figment because of your fuck up with Ace-



As soon as he got to that last part she didn’t even think. Didn’t even breathe… One moment she was insanely pissed off and the next her hand was throbbing like she had broken knuckles, every bit of it reverberating up her arm to her elbow like some crazy sort of painful numbness, and Nautilous? Was standing there looking shocked with a small stream of blood trickling from his nose… Two and two added up and she realized she had punched him on reflexes alone. She watched as he reached up and touched the edge of his nose lightly, seeing the blood on his fingertips before he would wipe it away, her face pale as she was shocked at what she had done.



Naut: Alright then…



Rose: Nautilous, look I-



Naut: Shove it.



Rose: Wha-?



Naut: You’re not the first woman to hit me and I doubt you’ll be the last. But I’m going to say this to you just once so listen closely… You better shape the fuck up and get your life sorted Rose or I will personally deny your marriage to my son. I fucked up once and let his marry a train wreck, I won’t let him do it again.



Rose: You would do that?



Naut: In a fucking heart beat. What you don’t understand is that my thoughts of you are directly based on how my son feels about you. You’re worthless to me as a person without that attachment and I wouldn’t piss on you to put you out. You’ve become this spoiled rotten little shit who cries at a hang nail because someone didn’t trim it for you right away. So life fucked you about, big deal, grow up. Life hasn’t left a single fucking person in this place without scars the only difference is that we don’t harp on and on about them and let them stop us from living. You got issues? Handle them like a grown up. Pick a God to serve and end the fighting over you already. It’s only been going on because you like the fucking attention and at this point it’s getting annoying. You got a day tomorrow where I will be with my son, so you got that time to finish up your bullshit and put on your big girl panties, and if you haven’t by the time we get back? Trust me I won’t waste a breath kicking you out and making sure Jacob never sees your problematic ass again.



And just like that he finished his glass of water and walked out on her, leaving her standing there in a perfect semblance of shell shock, whiter than a sheet and feeling colder than a corpse. She was torn down in a way she had never imagined was possible… Was she doing all of that, really? Had she become so shitty? Was that the truth why Ace left? Because she was becoming some sort of Diva? And if that was the case then Jacob… He wouldn’t be far behind… Especially given that Nautilous himself would deny the marriage and if he did? Neither of them would be able to see each other ever again. What was she supposed to do? He said to pick a god but which one? There were so many, the ones in her head and outside of it, and if she picked one then she’d be giving up on all the beliefs she had held as a child… Things that were core values to her would be gone in flash and fire… Worse still they’d level some sort of control over her and she already felt like she had no control over herself as it was lately. Was this the ONLY way to stop it all? To get back to herself and get away from everything that seemed to be poisoning her life? Had the meeting in fact all been in her head and she was making much adeu about nothing? God she just wanted answers and yet when she went to go find them she’d only encountered straight venom from someone who said they wanted to help…



If they all felt that way…. They should have said so…



She didn’t sleep a wink that night though, instead she remained curled up on the balcony in one of the chairs, smoking through a good pack and a half of cigarettes as she threw away page after page of paper as she tried to sort everything out in her head. There had to be a game plan, someone had to have answers, there must be a God out there who would take her and who could help- Someone who didn’t look like the devil…





The next day dawned bright and hot as a fire, the cold mists of the cooler nights racing through the shadowed streets like ghosts, Gia and Thaylan would have still been in bed and Rose on the patio… Nautilous would have taken Jacob out before the sun even rose to head out into town before the heat of the day began to coalesce around them like a wet blanket dipped in boiling water…